|
Date: |
|
Description: | A worn and incomplete copper alloy non-heraldic harness pendant of Medieval date that is missing its base to to old breaks. It has a circular plate with umbonate central boss and concave back face. At the top of the plate is an integral suspension loop set at right angles to the plane of the pendant and with a small circular central perforation that shows signs of use wear. Around the edges of the plate are the remains of four projecting circular knops that are also umbonate in form, one of which has been bent due to post-depositional damage. There may have been a further similar knop at the base of the pendant, however this is missing due to old breaks. At the base of the central boss is a cylindrical copper alloy rivet with flattened circular head. The front face of the boss is decorated with both incised and gilded decoration. Around the edge of the circular plate is a border formed from a single incised groove. Between the central boss and the border are the remains of eight projecting triangular motifs composed of punched annulets to produce a central device on the pendant of a star with eight points. Traces of gilding on the front face indicate the entire face would originally have been been gilded. The back face of the pendant is undecorated, flat and with a concave centre and concave back faces to the projecting knops. On both faces the pendant has suffered from extensive post-depositional corrosion. It measures 44.57mm in length including suspension loop, 39.54mm in width, 4.78mm in thickness (including central boss), and weighs 8.78g.
This harness pendant is of non-heraldic form and is Medieval in date. Near identical examples are illustrated by Ashley (2002: nos. 10-12) from Norfolk and date to the 12th or early 13th centuries AD. He notes that the radiating star device may have been simply decorative, however the decorative motifs and projecting knops bear some resemblance to a comet. Coincidentally, Halleys Comet was visible in April 1066 and coincided with the Norman conquest, as such it was linked with the conquest and seen as a heavenly portent. Ashley suggests that this form of decoration on harness pendants may have served to retain the memory of the comet and of good fortune in contemporary Anglo-Norman society (Ashley, 2002: 7). | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Brown, Andrew | Identifier: | http://www.findsdatabase.org.uk/hms/pas_... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
|
More Like this...
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
PENDANT
An incomplete cast copper alloy…
-
|