|
Date: |
|
Description: | An incomplete cast copper-alloy openwork sword scabbard chape of medieval date (c. 12th century AD). The object is formed of a sheet with cut outs folded in half. It is in the form of a winged horse on a base, showing this same design of both halves of the fold. The arms that protrude from such chapes at right angles to the base are missing on this example, from both halves of the fold. The horse has an attenuated neck and a narrow, pointed head. The ears are clearly defined, and there is a transverse incision at the nose. The foreleg is slightly flexed to suggest movement. There is a central 'leg' halfway along the body with a small basal expansion beyond the base line, and above which is a triangular wing with knopped end. Rivet holes occur at the base of this 'leg' and at the bottom of the rear leg; both rivets are in situ and are dark brown, and therefore of a different alloy to the rest of the chape. The object is decorated with linear incisions at short intervals giving the impression of stitching. There is possibly a line running up each leg, meeting a pair of lines running across the body; traces of the decoration can be discerned on the exterior of both folds. The artefact now has a mid-green patina with small patches of off-white corrosion product. One of the wings has been squashed inwards, as has part of the base line.A number of comparable chapes have been recorded on this database, all in varying states of survival: KENT-56A628, WAW-03F886. Chapes of this period are being studied by Peter Woods (Chapes Research Project); this is an example of his Type IV. Those chapes of this type already documented appear to be confined to southern England, with other examples from Hampshire known (Peter Woods pers. comm. 22 February 2010).
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
|
More Like this...
-
SCABBARD
An incomplete copper-alloy scabbard chape…
-
SCABBARD
A copper-alloy scabbard chape of…
-
SCABBARD
An incomplete copper alloy Medieval…
-
-
SCABBARD
An Early Medieval cast copper-alloy…
-
SCABBARD
An incomplete, later Early Medieval…
-
-
-
-
SCABBARD
Copper alloy scabbard chape, dating…
|