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Description: | An incomplete cast copper alloy stirrup strap mount, dating to the Early Medieval period (11th century), between AD 1000 ? 1100 (length: 35.5mm; width: 39mm; thickness: 5.5mm; weight: 24.1g). This type of mount has been classified by Williams, D, 1997 in ?Late Saxon Stirrup-Strap Mounts: A Classification and Catalogue?, page 87 [ref nos 398-401] as a Group B, Type 1, Group 1 example with multiple heads. This openwork and highly decorated mount is trapezoidal in plan and mostly flat in side section, with an obliquely angled flange at the bottom. At the top of the artefact, there is one complete fixing hole (diameter: 3mm) to the right, as well as two complete fixing holes: one in the centre and one to the left. There are three projecting animal heads on the front of the mount: a larger head is depicted in the lower centre, whilst two smaller heads appear above to the left and right. These smaller heads are not level with each other as the left example is higher than the right. The larger central head depicts facial features, including the ears, eyes and rounded nose. The circular ears of the animal are ?mouse-like? with a deep circular indentation (average diameter: 1mm) marking each ear. The ears are also unlevel with each other with the left ear being higher than the right. The eyes are marked to the left and right by a single linear indentation, which surrounding a deeply incised circular eye. The smaller and higher heads are worn making some of the facial features difficult to identify. However, the eyes and noses on both examples are clearly depicted. The ears are partially visible, particularly on the left head where they appear as circular indentations, similar to the larger head. There are eight openwork apertures surrounding the projecting heads. A single circular aperture (average diameter: 2mm) appears at the top of each of the smaller heads; two ?tear-drop? shaped apertures (average length: 4.5mm; average width: 3mm) appear above the larger central head, and two kidney-shaped apertures (average length: 8mm) appear to the left and right of the larger head. At the bottom of the artefact, there are two rivet or lower fixing holes on the angled flange. There is a substantial amount of iron corrosion around the back of the flange, which may suggest the corroded presence of iron rivets or a fitting/ strap. Additionally there is a substantial amount of bronze disease in the same area. The back of the mount is undecorated and flat, apart from a slight recess where the central head appears at the front of the artefact. The mount is in a worn and corroded condition with little of the original patina remaining, leaving a worn and dark brown surface to the artefact. According to Williams (1997l; page 85), Class B mounts comprise of mainly openwork zoomorphic mounts of varying forms, with angled flanges. Most of the central designs consist of a projecting head or heads, often mouse- or bat-like in appearance, an always cut off below the nose. Similar examples have been found at the following locations (see reference numbers mentioned above): 398: Minster-in-Thanet, Kent; 399: Barham, Kent; 400: Tadcaster, Yorks & 401: Graffham, West Sussex. | 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: | 1000
1100 | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://www.finds.org.uk/database/artefac... | Language: | en-GB | Format: | text/html | Go to resource |
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