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Description: | A cast and gilded copper-alloy early Anglo-Saxon zoomorphic mount in the form of a Style I naturalistic predatory bird, perhaps an eagle. It has a large, slightly hooked beak with an incised line running around the edge and annulet stamps defining the upper edge. The eye is in relief, within a chunky headframe which is also defined by a groove which is followed by an inner line of annulet stamps. Additional rows of similar stamps run along the upper surface of the single curved wing, which runs along and the line of the body, and down the single leg. The curved foot has a broad groove and the tail has two broad transverse grooves. The lower edge of the foot is flat. The reverse is flat and undecorated with a scar from a broken circular-section integral rivet; there also seem to be two large patches of dark grey solder, perhaps the result of an ancient mend. Otherwise there is a dark green patina with extensive remains of gilding in the stamps and grooves. Dimensions: length 42.82mm; width 15.75mm; thickness 5.37mm; weight 9.85g.This is an unusual mount which has no immediately obvious parallels. Mounts in the form of profile predatory birds from shields are usually more tightly curled or crouched over the foot (see Dickinson 2005, fig. 12), and are also somewhat larger. Mounts from hanging bowls can be in the shape of birds, but no cast relief-decorated mounts are known.
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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