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Description: | An incomplete cast copper-alloy bridle fitting or harness link of Early-Medieval date. Part of one terminal, the shaft and central boss survive intact, the opposite shaft and terminal now missing due to old breaks. One side of the terminal is preserved and appears to have been lozenge shaped with a central circular perforation and a projecting globular knop visible at the surviving exterior corner. From the inner edge of the terminal extends a rectangular shaft that is D-shaped in section with flat back and rounded front face. At the centre of the shaft is a flattened circular shaped boss with raised collars on the shaft to either side and projecting semi-circular knops on each outer edge. The shaft on the other side of the boss is now missing due to old breaks. This object measures 35.93mm in length, 18.68mm in width at central boss, 17.43mm in surviving width at terminal, 6.70mm in width at shaft, 6.13mm in thickness at central boss, and weighs 9.34g.This is an incomplete double-ended bridle fitting of later Early-Medieval date. Similar examples are recorded through the Portable Antiquities Scheme (see for example SF-D91911, SF-ADC0F3, SF-DE96A5, SF-457AB1, WMID-6AAED1) and have been studied by D. Williams, who suggests their possible use as harness links dating to the 11th century AD (see Williams, 2007).
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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