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Description: | An incomplete cast copper-alloy object, possibly a mould or stamp of Medieval date. It is square in form, rectangular in section and terminates along the two vertical sides in old breaks. The two vertical sides are uneven and have numerous old breaks, with the left hand side also having a slight lip towards it base, perhaps indicating that this object was part of a larger series of stamps or moulds that were all joined together. The front face of the object contains a neatly incised die or decorative motif in intaglio. This comprises a circular border of multiple punched dots at the centre of which is a lion rampant facing left. His tail is curved forwards to the middle of his back, his front paw raised and with ehad turned left to face forwards when viewing the die. Detail of the mane and hair on the lower limbs and tail and picked out with multiple delicately incised grooves and additional elements of his body are picked out utilising groups of punched dots. The field surrounding the lion within the border is filled with punched dots. The lion's face has punched oval shaped eyes, small crescentic ears, a pear-shaped nose and V-shaped mouth. The back face of the object is flat and undecorated but has a large circular concave moulding in the lower left hand corner,with a shallow groove in the upper left hand corner. The precise function of these depressions is uncertain, although the top right hand corner also possibly has the remains of a circular concave moulding which combined with the other two may indicate a means of attachment or method of utilising the object as a stamp or mould. It has a dark green patina and measures 35.56mm in length, 37.36mm in width, 6.81mm in thickness, and 58.63g in weight.This object is probably a mould or stamp of Medieval date. Its precise function is uncertain, although it may have served as a shallow mould perhaps for creating foil (silver or gold?) appliques or equally could have been used as a stamp to decorate items such as leather when the leather was still wet. It is plausible that it could have formed one part or component of a larger stamp/mould, as indicated by the incompete sides and the potential means of utilisation on the back face. Whichever may have been the case the decorative elements suggest a Medieval date, probably in the 13th-14th centuries AD, although an earlier or later date range cannot be discounted.
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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