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Description: | IOW2008-1-37 An incomplete cast copper alloy and gilded mount of Early-Medieval (Anglo-Saxon) date, probably sixth century (AD 500 - AD 600). Length: 28.2mm; width: 13.1mm and 6.0mm thick. Weight: 3.12g. The mount is rectangular in plan and has an old abraded break at one of the shorter ends. About 2/3 of the front face has a prominent plain border (approximately1.3mm thick) around a sunken panel which is defined by a further narrow border (approximately 0.7mm thick). This panel is filled with chip-carved, style 1 animal art and geometric features (in relief). Only part of the animal art feature survives and this appears to consist of two legs with feathered toes and part of a body. One leg and toe is above the other. To the left of the toes, adjacent to the short end of the border, there is a T-shaped feature in relief which has a very thick cross-piece and a very narrow stem (on the longitudinal centre-line). On either side of the stem there is a sub-circular pellet, also in relief. Outside the sunken panel and border, at the finished shorter end, there is further decoration consisting of a T-shaped feature, similar to the one within the sunken panel, but larger. This is orientated 180° to the T-shaped feature within the sunken panel and has a very thick cross-piece forming part of the complete end. On either side of the stem there is a crescent-shaped chip-carved groove. At the centre of this larger T-shaped feature there is a circular perforation with a diameter of 1.9mm. The rear face of the mount is plain and undecorated. It has an integral rivet near the complete shorter end. This is situated on the longitudinal centre-line and is immediately adjacent to the central perforation. This rivet has a length of 3.6mm and is circular in cross-section having a maximum diameter of 2.9mm. It tapers to a blunt rounded end. The upper face has a small amount of gilt adhering to the surface of the crevices, the raised animal art and borders being the main areas where the gilt has been lost. Where gilding is not present the copper alloy has a mid-green patina. The rear face has an uneven surface, due to corrosion, and is similarly patinated. No evidence of melting or burning. It is unclear what this object is. It might have been a belt strap fitting or a horse-harness mount, although other uses should be considered. Similar and incomplete mounts with chip-carved decoration have been recorded on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database. See finds from Wonston Parish, Hampshire and Islip Parish, Oxfordshire: Hamp-929D82 and DENO-882046. These finds, however, do not have a circular perforation adjacent to the rivet.
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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