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Description: | A complete cast copper alloy stirrup strap mount, dating to the 11th century AD (length: 44mm; width at base: 29mm; thickness at flange: 8mm; weight: 21.30g).Classified by David Williams in 'Late Saxon Stirrup-Strap Mounts: A Classification & Catalogue' [1997], as a Group A, Type 11A mount (pages 58-67, ref nos 225-245 & 261-268), the artefact is sub-triangular in form and depicts a 'lion-like quadruped with front paw raised and tail curved over its back (Williams, 1995, 'Finds Research Group 700-1700 Datasheet 20: Stirrup Mounts', page 3). Even though this example is badly worn and corroded, the head is raised and the mouth would usually be open as if reaching for an object invariably pendent within the frame. Williams also states that 'a lion of similar posture appears in the mid-11th century Crowland psalter, craning upward to grasp the point of a spear held by Christ (Williams, 1995, page 2; fig 3 & page 3), and others appear in the borders of the Bayeux Tapestry.Class/ Group A mounts are fixed to the stirrup strap through a single apex loop visible at the top of the mount with trifid decoration directly below, as well as connecting to the stirrup at the base of the mount where there are two rivet holes directly above the Type A or common right angle flange at the base, as seen in Williams, 1997, page 25, fig 18A. The mount is in a worn and corroded condition. Very little of the original patina remains and there are some areas of bronze disease on the back of the artefact.Stirrup strap mounts have a wide distribution within England and to an uncertain extent on the near continent, but most examples in England appear across southern Britain from East Anglia down towards the south west, as well as large scatters around the Lincolnshire/ Humberside area. Many of the mounts of Class, Group A show elements abstracted from or influenced by the Late Viking Ringerike and Urnes styles, as well as from other uncertain sources. The Ringerike style belongs to the first half of the 11th century, with the Urnes style developing out of the Ringerike around the middle of the 11th century. The Urnes style is still current in Ireland in the early 12th century but in England it is likely to have blended with the Romanesque style before the end of the 11th century (Williams, 1997, page 8), indicating the very likely date of the 11th century for most stirrup strap mounts.
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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