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Description: | A composite copper-alloy strap-end with openwork decoration, dating to the medieval period. The strap end is rectangular in plan with an acorn terminal. The strap-end is composite, being formed by a forked spacer with a rectangular panel riveted to either side. The acorn terminal is fully-rounded but composed by all three plates. The acorn-terminal is decorated with incised hatching on the lower hemisphere. The front of the strap end is highly decorated. At the attachment end is a rectangular panel containing a large lion shown in profile advancing left. The lion has one front paw swiping forwards, and one rear paw kicking backwards, His tail curves twice and runs parallel to his back. The upper part of the tail is notched. The lion is set against a background of narrow vertical grooves.In the centre of the strap-end is a large narrow arch with a trefoil apex in a style often seen in medieval churches. The arch is set horizontally with its top pointing towards the terminal, and so it is best viewed by turning the strap-end 90 degrees to the direction of the lion. When done so, the perimeter of the rectangular box containing the lion extends to form the exterior moulding of the arch. The sides of the arch are faceted. The exterior moulding meets at the apex to form a large fleur-de-lis. The interior frame of the arch is rectangular and terminates at the apex with three circular apertures. A narrow line of rectangular notches runs between the exterior and interior mouldings. The fleur-de-lis is set against a background of narrow vertical grooves in the same manner as those seen on the background of the lion.A copper-alloy rivet is located through the apex and is seen on the reverse. A second rivet is placed through the mouth of the lion. This rivet is made of iron and is likely to be a repair. Iron corrosion now surrounds the rivet on both the front and back of the strap-end. The attachment end is abraded. The strap-end has a dark-green patina and is in excellent condition.This strap-end is similar to two examples from London, one of which was found in a deposit of the late 14th-century and the other from a deposit of the early 15th-century (Egan & Pritchard, Dress Accessories, p.149, no. 704 & 705. See also p.153, no. 100). Openwork strap-ends are uncommon and no two are precisely alike. An example from Liege, Belgium, suggests that they were made in sets (ibid., 140).
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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