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Description: | Incomplete cast copper alloy decorative plate / fitting of probable Early Medieval or Medieval date (700 - 1200 AD). It is uncertain as to what the plate, which is decorated with a bearded face, could have been originally attached to. It has been suggested that it might be from a vessel, such as a cup, or possibly be associated with a casket, book, or something similar. The overall design is incomplete and all of the edges are broken, these have been subsequently abraded in the ploughsoil and the edges are laminating through corrosion. The edges may have been deliberately trimmed as the majority of the design / face is complete. The fitting is broadly oval in plan and the front face is domed (convex) in profile; the reverse is concave and the cross-section is broadly C shaped. It measures 26.8mm length, 18.7mm width, is 4.7mm thick, and weighs 4.05 grams.
The overall design on the front of the fitting / decorative plate is that of a moustached and bearded face. The design is executed with a great deal of skill and seems to have been entirely formed through casting. There is no evidence for either incised or applied decoration. The eye-brows, brows and nose are formed from a single curvi-linear line (which is broadly shaped as a T) which has been cast in high relief. Above the brows is a single band, which has been partially lost through clipping / corrosion. This band is formed from two parallel cast horizontal linear lines with evenly spaced vertical lines between. The two horizontal bands are cast in high relief whereas the vertical lines are much shallower and less distinct. Below the brows and either side of the long nose are two eyes. These are both oval in shape and each formed from a single high-relief irregular curvi-linear line with a single round cast pellet for the pupil. Below the nose is an irregular oval depicting the lips/ mouth, this is also cast in high relief. From the base of the nose two long diagonal low relief cast lines expand to the edge of the plate, these represent the moustache. In-filled between these are more diagonal lines depicting the beard. These extend from the mouth toward the neck (which is lost). At the mid-point of the mouth, a single vertical rib descends, and some of the diagonal lines abut it. Other facial features are not shown, such as the head hair, ears or neck, although all of these may have been lost through a combination of trimming and abrasion.
The reverse of the plate is irregular in profile, as already mentioned. The central part of the plate is concave, with a relatively flat bottom, and gently sloping sides. Around the edge the plate is relatively flat and this forms a ledge which may have aided the attachment to a vessel or casket. The majority of this flat surface has been lost. The centre of this concave edge has a relatively crude scratched / incised design. This consists of a series of vertical, horizontal and curved lines. The design is formed from two vertical and two horizontal lines forming a cross (crucifix) over which two single diagonal lines are scratched forming a second cross (saltire or cross of St Andrew). These two crosses are not even and the junction between them is poorly observed. These crosses are enclosed by a single curvi-linear incised line which runs around the edge of the concave area. This curvi-linear line does not complete a full circle (oval). In some ways the overall incised design seems extremely similar to that of the Christian symbol of a Chi Rho, however, if this were the case it is very poorly achieved.
The decorative plate is a mid- greenish brown colour with an even and well formed patina which covers all surface on both the front and reverse faces. The patina covers the incised design on the reverse. There are several small areas of slight pitting on both surfaces but these are inactive and have had limited affect. The majority of the damage has occurred through the clipping and abrasion of the edges of the artefact. Here the metal has started to laminate. A direct parallel for this example has not been found. Stylistically this pieces shares several of the characteristics of the Messingham face (Leahy: Anglo-Saxon Crafts), however, that example is formed from a base silver and formed using a specific casting technique which used textiles. The face also can be compared with two weights from the BM catalogue ?The work of Angels? edited by Susan Young (pages 142-3 cat no: 135-6) as well as a pair of mounts (p145 and 166 cat no. 138). Both of the weights are formed from re-used ecclesiastical pieces of metalwork and originally date from the 8th century. The decorative heads on the pair of mounts also compare favourably. All three of these similar designs have Scandinavian (Viking) parallels. It seems likely that the face portrayed in this example is that of Christ (or possibly one of his disciples) and that this piece is from some type of religious artefact. This argument is strengthened by the crudely scratched Chi Rho. It may also explain why the piece was trimmed to its current size, in that it may have been reused or contain an important spiritual connotation. Because of the lack of a specific direct parallel for this example a large date range in the late Saxon and earlier medieval period has been suggested, however it is likely that it may well have been made in the 8th -10th centuries AD. | 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: | 700
1200 | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Peter Reavill | Identifier: | http://www.finds.org.uk/database/artefac... | Language: | en-GB | Format: | text/html | Go to resource |
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