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Description: | A copper-alloy strap end of Early Medieval date. It has a flat square plate with a split open end that curves slightly upwards, and a moulded openwork terminal end with zoomorphic decoration. The terminal consists of a central rectangular shaped projection that is hemispherical in section. To either side of this project zoomorphic creatures whose necks extend outwards to points level with the tip of the central projection. The necks then curve inwards towards the plate and terminate with oval shaped heads that merge into the body of the plate. This creates a sub-oval shaped perforation between the heads of the animals and the central rectangular projection. Each head has a punched ring and dot motif representing the eye, and there is an incised groove that runs from the top of the necks down the entire exterior edge of the plate. The plate itself is decorated on the upper surface with two rows of ring and dot motifs, the row nearest the terminal comprising four motifs, and the row nearest the open end three. The open end of the plate has a single incised groove along the inner edge and there are small circular perforations at each corner that pierce both upper and lower plates and would have enabled attachment of the strap end to the strap. The back face of the plate is flat and undecorated with the exception of a possible faintly incised groove that creates a border around the entire object. It measures 25.70mm in width, 24.83mm in height, 3.35mm at the open and, and weighs 8.12g. This strap end is of 10th century AD date and related to the more elaborate 'Winchester style' openwork strap ends that are typical of the period. Two examples recorded on the PAS database from Cambridgeshire (BH-F710D0) and Warwickshire (LANCUM-045F05) share similar characteristics and shape and are dated to the 10th or 11th centuries AD. Dr. Kevin Leahy (pers. comm.) suggests that the lack of more extensive openwork decoration on this example may be the result of either poor casting or that the strap end was truncated.
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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