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Description: | An early Medieval cast copper alloy strap end. The strap end has two components, a long rectangular shaft and a wedge-shaped split at the widest terminal. The shaft is sub-rectangular in plan and sub-rectangular in section. The terminal has moulded zoomorphic features forming a forming a head with nostrils pointing forwards, a snout and '' shaped grooves on the upper surface behind the snout. Behind the head the upper surface is decorated with a Trewhiddle-styled panel. The motifs are difficult to describe due to the worn condition, but behind the moulded head are two sub-comma shapes, possibly depicting a set of eyes. Behind these, on the remaining portion of the panel, there is a Trewhiddle-styled design within a narrowed panel which has slightly bevelled edges. The second component of the strap end is the integral wedge shaped split. In profile this component is a '>' shape which has a cast copper alloy round-headed rivet in each corner of the terminal which passes through each sheet of the split. One rivet-head is missing and is probably recent damage. The upper surface of this component has a single motif Trewhiddle designed rectangular panel. The motif is engraved in low-relief with traces of a black substance, probably neillo, filling the low-relief areas. The reverse of the strap end is undecorated and is slightly concave. The reverse does have a patch of iron staining suggesting the strap end has lain against an iron object and, considering the good condition of the strap end, has been removed from this object recently. The surface of the strap end has a well developed mid-green patina. The rivets hare slightly corroded with red copper corrosion visible. The strap end measures 47.47mm long, 10.36mm wide and 5.3mm thick. It weighs 9.8g. Thomas (Thomas, G. 2003 'Late Anglo-Saxon and Viking-Age Strap Ends 750-1100: Part I' Finds Research Group AD 700-1700 Datasheet 32) classifies these type of strap ends as Class B. Class B Type 1 has a similar zoomorphic terminal to the recorded example. Class B Type 2 has a Trewhiddle designed panel on the wedge-shaped split component, but the shaft is undecorated and the zoomorphic terminal is not similar in style. Class B Type 3 has a Trewhiddle designed panel on the wedge-shaped split component and decoration on the shaft, but this decoration is a series of scrolls. The recorded example is probably considered a variant of Thomas's Class B Types 1, 2 and 3 and probably dates to the 9th century.
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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