|
Date: |
|
Description: | Detached knob from an early Anglo-Saxon florid cruciform brooch, with relief Style I decoration of a pair of opposed human masks, one larger and one smaller, joined at a groove between the two brows. Each has a brow decorated with longitudinal grooves, and the smaller head also has an undecorated brow beyond this which forms a T-shape with the nose. In the angles of the T are two rounded relief eyes, with cheeks curving around them. The larger head is similar, but with a triangular nose below which projects a flatter, longer triangle. From the edges of this project a pair of what are recognisable from a parallel (NLM947) as curving birds' necks, each with a groove around their inner edge. Most of the birds' heads are now missing, with different parts of the curled grooved beaks surviving, making each end apparently asymmetric. The birds can also be read as forming a large moustache to the larger head.The reverse of the entire object is flat and undecorated, with two transverse lugs holding an iron pin bar. Length 19.85mm, width 18.55mm, thickness (including lugs) 7.74mm.Other knobs from florid cruciform brooches (e.g. DENO-84D5F3 , NMS-CDA2A2, , NMS-113DA2, NLM4515 and GLO-ABE2D2) also have geometric panels below the nose from which moustaches spring to end in birds' heads. All of these, however, have rectangular panels at one end, so attach to the headplate easily (compare the still-attached knob on NMS-6F9833).The closest parallel on the PAS database is NLM947, which has a simple projecting point instead of the smaller head, but a comparable pair of lugs on the reverse. These have probably developed from simpler prototypes such as the more complete brooch SF-4B6E83, but it is less clear how they were attached to the headplate.A similar object is listed in the 'Ancient & Oriental Ltd' Sales List 37, June 2002, p.14 no.241, listed as 'Small Anglo-Saxon scabbard mount incorporating human face with protruding tongue and two raven heads. Width 0.75ins (1.9cms). Circa 8th-10th century. South Notts'. The design is virtually identical to this object.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
|
More Like this...
-
BROOCH
Detached knob from an early…
-
BROOCH
Head-plate from a copper-alloy brooch…
-
BROOCH
An Early Medieval Anglo-Saxon copper…
-
BROOCH
A fragment of an Early-Medieval…
-
BROOCH
Incomplete Early Saxon Florid Cruciform…
-
BROOCH
Fragment of copper-alloy with Style…
-
BROOCH
Fragment of copper-alloy with Style…
-
BROOCH
Knob of a square headed…
-
BROOCH
Knob of a square headed…
-
BROOCH
Large and near-complete copper-alloy cruciform…
|