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Description: | Gilt cast copper alloy decorative mount of early medieval (Irish) date (650-850 AD). The mount is incomplete approximately a quarter survives. Originally, it was circular with a diameter of around 49mm. The face of the brooch bears chip-carved and inlaid decoration the main feature of which is a central cross dividing the field into four equal parts. The reverse is undecorated and corroded. The only element which survives on the reverse is a much distorted oval, raised fitting. The fragment measures, 34.9mm width, 45.4 mm length, it is a maximum of 4mm thick and 11.59 grams.
The face of the mount has a symmetrical design, which has been constructed around a central cross and recessed panels. The cross is formed from four circular settings (or cups) which are positioned on the outer edge of the brooch. Only two of these outer settings survive. Each setting is joined to its neighbour by curvi-linear raised ribs creating a four armed cross with a large central panel. These ribs are decorated with incised horizontal lines creating a rope-like pattern. At the centre of the cross is a large setting bordered by four semi-circles defined by curvi-linear ribs. The central setting is raised above the other settings, almost like a small boss. The sockets on the face of the mount are empty; it is likely that they would have held a gem, semi-precious stone, or paste setting. There is no evidence to suggest which form of setting was used; their profile suggests that the stone would have been placed in the recessed central cup, around the edge of which is a slight ledge which rises to the circular outer rib. This suggests that the central fitting was not meant to fill the outer setting but solely the inner cup.
The face of the mount is further decorated by a series of four recessed panels (of which only one survives) positioned between the arms of the central cross. The surviving panel has an intricate chip-carved design dipicting an animal (probably a hound) with open mouth and protruding tongue, with a small nose and eye. The animal's body consists of an interlaced design formed with curvi-linear lines filled with small incised diagonal lines (similar to the rope-work) possibly depicting hair. The adjoining panel is incomplete and cannot be interpreted but it is thought that two animals would have been depicted on the four panels of the mount. The workmanship of this design (and the brooch as a whole) is especially high. Each element and panel seems to have an applied gilt (or gold) surface, which has decayed to a mid brown yellow colour.
The brooch is a mid green brown colour with a much corroded and abraded patina. This abrasion has resulted in the loss of some detail on the raised areas of the brooch. The broken edges of the brooch are all relatively recent and have not become worn or abraded, although a similar abraded patina is present on many of them. Movement in the soil has also distorted the profile of the brooch. Many areas of the brooch have been damaged by corrosion although it now seems stable having apparently been coated with lacquer (Incralac?).
Finding direct parallels for this object has proved difficult but from the style of the decoration Dr Kevin Leahy has suggested that it is a piece of ninth century Insular (Irish) metalwork which was probably brought to Shropshire under the aegis of the Vikings (see Youngs, 1989, 'The Work of Angels' items 139 and 146 for comparable animals). The use of settings for ??gems?? is is also paralleled on Insular metalwork. This mount is highly unusual as a Shropshire find as very little material from the early medieval period has been recorded either with the PAS or with the museums in the area. | Subjects: | Disc | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Reavill, Peter - Portable Antiquities Scheme | Identifier: | http://www.findsdatabase.org.uk/hms/pas_... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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