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Description: | An unusual cast copper-alloy clapper bell, possibly incomplete of Medieval date.
The bell is a silvery colour perhaps due to a high lead an tin content. It has an integral suspension loop with a circular hole and is circular in plan and the body is semi-circular in shape and hollow. The lower open edges have eight rounded notches cut out of them with projections between these, which may be incomplete, if so the body of the bell became an open work cage at this point, however the completeness of the bell remains uncertain due to wear. The bell
measures 31.8mm in surviving height and 35.4mm in width.
The outer face of the bell is decorated with four moulded evenly spaced square topped shields. Each shield is within in a circular border and each shield has dimidiated heraldic arms within it, identified by Edward Martin (SCCAS). These arms are probably those of Ralph de Monthermer, Earl of Gloucester and Hereford, and his first wife Joan of Acre (daughter of King Edward I and widow of Gilbert de Clare), who he married in 1297, she died in 1307. Ralph de Monthermers arms are Or an eagle displayed vert, and the right hand half of the shield depicts half an eagle, Joan of Acre used the arms of Gilbert de Clare, her first husband, which were Or, three chevrons gules, and the left hand of the shield depicts half of three chevrons.
The hollow inside of the bell has corroded iron, possibly the remains of the suspension loop and clapper.
This bell is very similar to an example from Great Barton Suffolk, see SF-A43191, and other examples from the Isle of Wight, see IOW-D712F1 and and Compton Abbas, Dorset (SOMDOR-0B1D95). As these bells are all silvery in colour and heraldic it seems likely that they functioned a horse harness bells, in a similar way to heradlic harness pendants more commonly found. | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Minter, Faye - Portable Antiquities Scheme | Identifier: | http://www.findsdatabase.org.uk/hms/pas_... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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