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Description: | A complete cast copper-alloy early medieval strap end. The strap end consists of a split end at the top and a convex sided plate with a zoomorphic terminal at the base. Within the split end, which flares out in profile, there are two horizontally aligned rivets which would have originally secured the strap. The plate has an essentially flat median section. The zoomorphic terminal is in relief on the front.
In addition to the zoomorphic terminal, the front of the strap end is decorated with a curvilinear design highlighted by recesses. Due to the surface condition, the design is unclear but it appears to be set within a curved recessed border below the rivets and running down the edges of the front of the plate to the zoomorphic terminal. At the top of the plate, between the rivets, there is a drop shaped design formed by a narrow groove. At the top of the zoomorphic terminal there are two curved, raised features, side by side, with crescentic recesses representing ears. Below the ears is a rounded head in relief, and a narrow snout at the terminal. The reverse of the plate is undecorated.
The strap end is 50.7mm long, 14.2mm wide, and 3.0mm thick at about its median point. The strap end has a mass of 11.5g. The plate has a glossy appearance, which is likely to be a result of a recent application of wax (etc). The surface is largely brown in colour but in particular on the anthropomorphic terminal and the reverse of the plate, green corrosion products are also visible. There are some shallow grooves/striations running down the plate on the reverse and one side of the plate has an uneven projection visible, but it is unclear if this is original.
In ??Late Anglo-Saxon and Viking-Age strap-ends 750-1100: Part 1??, Thomas (2003, p.1) states: ??Strap ends provided the dual service of preventing straps to which they were attached from fraying or curling, and on items of costume, adding weight to make them hang down attractively. One can deduce from their considerable variation in size and the fact that they were evidently worn in sets, pairs and singly, that the range current during this period encapsulated several functional contexts.?? In parts 1 and 2 of ??Late Anglo-Saxon and Viking-Age strap-ends 750-1100??, Thomas has introduced a classification system for strap ends (2003, 2004). Class A strap ends are summarised as having a split end, convex sided or tapering plate, zoomorphic terminal and an average ratio of length to width of 1:3.5. The strap end described here has convex sides, a length to width ratio of 1:3.6, a split end and a zoomorphic terminal. Thomas??s Class A, Type 2 encompasses a range of non-representational, curvilinear and geometric patterns, often in combination with highly stylised animal head terminals and trilobite palmettes. The strap end described in this record is most closely related to Class A, Type 2. In terms of dating, Thomas (2003, p.2) states that the chronological limits of the class A strap ends probably lie either side of the 9th century ?? with some suggestion of 8th century origins and increasing evidence to 10th century usage in the north, by which time the tongue shaped (class E) examples had superseded them in the south. On this basis the strap end is likely to date from the 8th to the 10th century. | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Slarke, Duncan - Portable Antiquities Scheme | Identifier: | http://www.findsdatabase.org.uk/hms/pas_... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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