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Description: | A fragment of openwork mount, comprising the lower left hand angle of a rectangular plate. Shows the rear end of a beast (possibly a lion) with the tail curled forward under the two surviving rear legs, a limb with a 'spiral joint' on its hip. There is a rivet-hole at the angle of the outer border. Measures >17mm x >21mm. Possibly Irish. Probably late 11th-12th century.Comments by Sue Youngs:This is difficult because a simple spiral hip like this is a feature of metalwork at two different periods in England in the 8th century in Insular style products e.g. nasal on York helmet and elsewhere - then Trewhiddle intervenes with NO spirals - then there is the effect of Ringerike in the Danish influenced world around 1000 - this is also the period when larger amounts of middle/low grade decorative metalwork appear, some of it in openwork like this - odd plaques, many stirrup-strap mounts and some odd sub-triangular harness pendants. The Heacham piece could be a less Scandinavian, more late AS version of the mount on p. 61 of the Portable Antiquities Report for 2000-2001. The pose with tail wrapped below the haunches is also fairly typical for lions in this period and Winchester to Romanesque - see buckle in the round Golden Age cat 271 'Anglo-Norman' late 11th century. Looking at Irish openwork and beast hips on Lough Kinale shrine, Templehouse harness mounts, etc., I can see no equivalent - all very flat too. The best parallels are openwork side panels with deer etc on the Shrine of the Stowe Missal dated by inscription to 1026-1033. On the whole I don't feel this has to be Irish - and suspect it is English 11th century.Comments by John Cherry:Difficult to say but I would have thought that the scroll on the hind legs of the beast looks more Irish than Romanesque English to me, but it is difficult to be sure. Surely 12th century wherever it has strayed from.
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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