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Date: |
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Description: | A gilt copper-alloy mount of probable 6th century AD date. The object has been finely made but is badly bent and corroded as a result of post-depositional processes.The mount consists of a roughly lozenge-shaped plate, with slightly concave sides, rounded narrow ends and pointed wider angles. Along the outer edge of the four sides (but not extending as far as the two rounded ends) is a plain band, measuring approximately 4mm in width. The decoration is confined to an inner band, which measures up to 13.1mm wide at the centre and surrounds a plain central lozenge.The decoration is a finely executed example of late Style I scrollwork. Each side of the band is decorated with the same chip-carved design depicting two beasts facing each other. The upward-tilting heads are represented by a three-ridged curve at the top, a central pellet eye and a curved bottom jaw. The body of each beast takes the form of a double scrollwork loop, each of which angles back at ninety degrees to form the legs: the foreleg lies parallel to the bottom edge of the border and the hind leg lies parallel to the top edge. Each leg terminates in a six-toed foot. The two points at which the rear ends of the beast (one from each side of the border) adjoin are marked by a decorative moulding of two touching loops, each with a central pellet. The decorative band is the only part of the object to have been gilt. The reverse of the mount is plain and there is no obvious means of attachment.No parallel could be found for this piece, but the decoration is reminiscent of that seen on great square-headed brooches of the period (for a close parallel see, for example, J. Hines; 1997; plate 17; b) and it is upon the basis of these similarities that a date of mid to late 6th century is suggested.It measures 51mm long, by 47.8mm wide and 2.3mm thick. The weight is 31.16g.
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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