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Date: |
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Description: | Decorative mount from an unidentified object, made from a thin rectangular sheet of dark copper alloy. The full length of 47.5 mm survives, but all of one long edge is missing leaving a surviving width of 29 mm. The positions of the surviving rivet holes, although irregularly placed, suggest an original width of c. 36 mm. Each surviving edge is decorated with a series of evenly spaced edge nicks which almost meet a grooved border. Within this is a more decorative border which may be of a different design on each edge. The surviving long edge has semi-circles hanging from the grooved line, each separated by a circle. The upper edge has a row of 'standing' semi-circles above a row of 'hanging' semi-circles, offset so that they form a curvy zig-zag. The lower edge is less well preserved, but may simply have a row of hanging semi-circles. The main motif filling most of the space within the borders is a bird in profile looking left, with a slightly hooked beak, a large eye, a long thick bittern-like neck, a small wing on its back, and two legs with three-toed feet. The neck, wing and back are filled with short oblique lines and the breast is filled with curved lines, all probably representing feathers. The lower part of the body has shallower oblique straight lines, possibly representing down. In front of the bird's breast, by the broken edge, is another three-toed foot which might belong to a second bird, although there is little space for it. In the space behind the bird's neck is a more enigmatic motif. It looks like the head and shoulders of a bearded man in profile looking left. His nose and beard and a line delineating a hat or hair are all clearly visible. The meaning of the combination of bird and man is unknown, and the art style has proved hard to identify. It seems to be medieval, but may not be English.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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