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Description: | Copper alloy D-shaped buckle. This has a narrowed strap bar that has a circular cross-section. The ends of the strap bar are expanded and decorated with animal facemasks that are seen in profile. These sections are sub-triangular and have an incised spiral that emanates out from a roundel in the centre. A crescent in the centre of the roundel represents the eyes. There is also a crescent in each of the corners, these represent the nostrils and ears of the beast. The centre of the forward edge is also expanded with a third animal facemask. This has two roundels with spirals that converge in the centre to form the eyebrows and bridge of the snout; again each roundel has a crescent in the centre. This is held within a linear border that is expanded below the eyes, as if depicting the mouth. The top corners have crescents to depict the ears. In all cases the spirals are incised with hatched lines. In the recesses are the remains of nellio.These facemasks closely match the animal/bear facemasks that are typical on the Borre art style and date to 850-950. Similar examples of the animal facemasks seen in profile are found on a brooch that was discovered at Hedeby in Denmark http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borre_style. While the forward facing animal head is found on many decorative artefacts from the period such as the Horse Harness Fitting from Gotland in Sweden http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_mla/r/reins_guide.aspxLength 32mm, width 40mm, thickness 4mm, weight 12.92g
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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