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Description: | MED copper alloy unidentified object. Very slightly longitudinally bowed oval-sectioned shank, transverse rib and triangular step down to flat-sectioned openwork mushroom-shape, very small short stem with narrow mushroom-shaped projection at one end, other end steps down to flat-sectioned perforated terminal, 52 x 15mm. Flat on reverse. An similar example on the Portable Antiquities Database (from Owlesbury, Hampshire) is described as an Early Medieval key, the reference cited for this identification is G. Baily (2002) Detector Finds 5, p.48. Two other similar objects were found at Norton Subcourse and Beeston, Norfolk. The only variation between these objects seems to be the shape of the openwork section and the presence or absence of knops on the perforated terminal. It has been suggested that these objects were keys (ibid) or a furniture fitting (s. J. Ashley, pers comm). It is also possible they were some kind of fastening, the mushroom shaped projection passing through a hole in a strap (perhaps a rectangular hole so the 'mushroom' had to be twisted to fit through and when twisted back was secure), the strap passing through the openwork.
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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