|
Date: |
|
Description: | An unusual incomplete cast copper-alloy clasp half, possibly the catch piece from an early Anglo-Saxon wrist or sleeve clasp. As the clasp-half is cast in one piece it has been classified as form B12 by John Hines (Hines pers comm 2005). Like other B12 examples it consists of a straight bar, cast in one, with loops for sewing to the garment, and a
decorative knob in the middle of the rear edge giving a T-shape.
Roughly half of this clasp-half survives and it measures 21mm in length and 20.2mm in width at its widest point. The surviving loop projects from one corner and has a circular drilled hole through it. The decorative knob, projecting from the centre of the rear edge, is rectangular in shape and measures 10mm by 9mm in size. There is also the remains of another possible slight knob on the other edge which could make this wrist clasp a catch piece. The front face of the knob is decorated with a relief motifs, which are now worn but appear to consist of two opposing V-shaped grooves above which there are two opposing scroll-like curls projecting from a central vertical line. The bar panel itself is also decorated with relief ornament within a raised rectangular border. This ornament has been identified by John Hines and Helen Geake as style 1, and appears to be zoomorphic. With a long body and possibly the back leg and/or tail shown. Traces of gilding are also present on the front face of the clasp half.
John Hines confirms that although a few B12s have relief ornament in the bar panels, the only ones he knows have simple linear designs, and this is the first with a large panel of Style I ornamanent to be recorded. This is therefore possibly a unique variation of the B12 form of wrist clasp. | Format: | text/html | License: | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ | Publisher: | The Portable Antiquities Scheme | Rights holder: | The Portable Antiquities Scheme | Subjects: | archaeology | Temporal: | 500
600 | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://www.finds.org.uk/database/artefac... | Language: | en-GB | Format: | text/html | Go to resource |
|
|