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Description: | An elaborate quatrefoil shaped Medieval harness pendant with the suspension mount still attached. Ashley believes that these elaborate harness pendants were a later development of the earlier pendants. This example displays 'arms which are allusive for England and France' (Ashley, 2002, pp23). He goes on to state that such pendants are likely to have been made after 1340 'when the fleur-de-lis of France were quartered with the lions of England'. Although an earlier date cannot be ruled out. The pendant depicts a lion walking left. The lion is surrounded by a raised surface of blue enamel. The section, which has been decorated with blue enamel, is square. All of the enamel on the pendant has been applied to the surface of the copper-alloy, therefore placing the copper-alloy surface in negative and the enamel in positive. Around the square there is a 'negative' line boxing in the lion and the blue enamelled square. Each lobe of the quatrefoil design depicts a fleur-de-lis (negative in copper-alloy) the area around the fleur-de-lis has been enamelled in red. Further to this the triangular sections between each of the lobes has been enamelled with blue enamel. The reverse of the pendant is undecorated; the copper-alloy has a dark reddish-green patina. The suspension loop remains in situ and an iron rivet connects the suspension mount to it. The suspension mount terminates with a stud, which appears to be broken, the break is very worn. This metal also has a dark reddish-green patina. The enamel is in a very good condition, though the red has started to crystallise. A parallel from this pendant can be seen on p21 of Ashley's book (reference below).
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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