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Description: | An incomplete copper-alloy early Anglo-Saxon elaborate girdle hanger, the incomplete terminal survives and the shaft and suspension loop are missing due to old breaks. The terminal would have been E-shaped when complete but the middle arm, which is also the central shaft of the girdle hanger, is now missing. It measures 42.3mm in width and 36.9mm in length.
The terminal is unusual as it is an elaboration on the basic E-shaped form. There are two integral circular suspension loops projecting from the lower edge, one of which has corroded iron within it, these loops would have allowed other elements to be apended to the end of the girdle hanger such as decorative plates.
The two surviving outer arms of the E-shape are also different from the norm as they terminate with birds' heads, each head is portrayed in side profile and consists of a pointed oval in shape with a central incised oval shaped eye. The upper tips of the pointed oval shape slope inwards and upwards and appear to be the tip of the animals nose. Projecting from the outer edge of the heads there is an oval loop with a central decorative groove, these loops appear to represent the horns of the animal, it seems most likely therefore that the animal is a deer, or horned sheep.
The front face is further decorated with a row of crescent shaped indentations running along the inner edges of the two outer arms of the E-shape and inside edge of the lower horizontal arm.
The back face is undecorated as is the case normally with other examples.
This elaborate girdle hanger terminal is similar to an example from Hinderclay, Suffolk, (West 1998, 165, fig 48, no 15), this example is slightly different in style having closed wards and lacking animal head terminals but it does have lower loops to allow suspension of decorative plates. There are other examples e.g from Ixworth, Suffolk also with lower suspension loops and of elaborate E-shaped form (MacGregor and Bolick 1993, 231, no 42.9). | 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: | 400
720 | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://www.finds.org.uk/database/artefac... | Language: | en-GB | Format: | text/html | Go to resource |
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