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Description: | A complete cast-copper alloy heraldic harness pendant of Medieval date. It is shield shaped, slightly convex in profile and sub-rectangular in section. At the top of the pendant is an integral suspension loop, set at 90 degrees to the plane of the pendant, which projects forwards and has a small circular perforation. The front face of the pendant contains the decorative, heraldic device. At the top of the shield are depicted two six-pointed and pierced mullets against a gilt background. Beneath the mullets is a shield shaped area of red enamelling. Traces of gilding are visible on all the raised areas of the front face surrounding the red enamel work, as well as on the suspension loop. The back face of the pendant is undecorated. It measures 47.16mm in height including suspension loop, 27.60mm in width, 3.14mm in thickness, and weighs 12.94g.
Edward Martin (SCCAS; pers. comm.) notes that the arms on the pendant are 'Gules on a chief argent two mullets pierced sable'. This finds parallels on 14th century rolls of arms, with the Galloway Roll (1300: 232) recording 'Sir Edmond Bacon - de gueules od le chief d'argent a deux moletz de sable en le chief', and the Stirling Roll (1304: 30) recording 'Sir Esmon Bacone - gueules, le chief d'argent a deux moletz de sable en le chief'. These are the arms of Sir Edmund Bacon of Ewelme in Oxfordshire, Gresham Castle in Norfolk, Fressingfield and Oulton in Suffolk, and Hatfield Peverel and Mountnessing in Essex. Edward Martin adds "The family originated in the Gorleston/Yarmouth area of Suffolk/Norfolk and advanced through royal service - his brother John being an important king's clerk and justice. Edmund was a king's knight and saw service in Gascony 1293-7, in Scotland 1298-1303 and in Gascony again 1324-5 - he was captured near Bordeaux on his return from an embassy to Aragon in 1325. Keeper of the castle and steward of the honour of Wallingford 1312 and 1317. He had a licence to crenellate his dwelling-place at Gresham in 1318. Summoned as a knight to the Great Council in 1324. Keeper of the king's lands in Suffolk 1334. Died 1336." A similar heraldic device in reverse is noted on two shield shaped pendants from Norfolk (Ashley, 2002: nos. 54, 136). This pendant dates to the late-13th or 14th century AD. | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Brown, Andrew | Identifier: | http://www.findsdatabase.org.uk/hms/pas_... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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