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Description: | Copper-alloy shield-shaped harness mount, now slightly bent and quite worn. The shield is 30 mm long and 24 mm wide with a straight top and sides curving to a point. Three relief lions passant guardant can just be seen on the shield (the arms of England before 1340). Although these were probably reserved and gilded against a red enamel background, none of the gilding or enamel survives. On the reverse is a large tapering integral blunt-ended spike, set at a slight upwards angle; this increases the total thickness to 22 mm. These mounts are very similar to horse-harness pendants and were almost certainly used on thick leather harness. One bearing the arms of England could have been used on the harness of a servant of the king of England, but they were also available for anyone else to buy as a patriotic symbol. After 1340, when the French arms were added to the English arms to symbolise the English claim to the French throne, the three lions could continue to be used alternating with a mount or pendant showing the arms of France.
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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