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Description: | Description: An early medieval gold A-bracteate of Axboe's Group H2 (Axboe 2007, 36). The bracteate is generally in good condition, although missing its suspension loop. The gold foil is to some degree dented, signs of scratches are above the forehead and on the beads especially the one most to the left and in the area of the bust. The relief is fairly flat, and there are no contour lines.The design shows a diademed human head in profile looking left. The nose is straight and pointed, there is possibly a moustache, and the mouth is shown as a small indent. The chin is straight and pointed, almost forming a right angle; the rest of the face is curved. It has a large oval eye, cheek in relief and a large scrolling comma-shaped ear. A straight line through the hair represents the imperial diadem. Three hair stands and a hair curl between forehead and diadem are shown. The neck and bust are indicated. Next to the neck is a nearly round feature with a line and small raised dot which may reflect an imperial brooch with pendilium. In the bust are lines in low relief which may be folds of the imperial coat.The central image is surrounded by a raised beaded rim and a separate beaded framing wire attached to the edge of the foil, giving the impression of two framing wires. The wire is broken twice (at 9 o'clock and 11 o'clock); its beading is worn off along the outside, and is only still visible at the site of the lost loop. The location of the missing suspension loop is shown by five gold beads which remain where the loop was, three in one line on the framing wire with two in a line underneath on the raised beaded rim. Assuming that the five gold beads indicate the obverse, the pendant was probably stamped with a patrix, as the reverse is more sharply defined than the obverse (for example the lines in the bust).Around the bust is a pseudo-Latin inscription, following the basic pattern of those on the original coins.Inscription: Capital-imitation letters, starting at 7 o'clock, reading clockwise:? I ? O C N I U ? X O ? V S I ? I I O (then possible Pendilium).Dimensions: diameter 23.43 mm, thickness 0.97 mm, weight 2.4 g.Discussion: The detail of the bust, with the folds of a garment fastened together by a brooch, show that the models for this bracteate type were the gold solidi or medallions of the House of Constantine.Two similar objects have been found previously in Oxfordshire, although it is unclear if there is a link between these and the current object. Both are A-bracteates, one from St Giles's Field (Oxford), the other from Kingston Bagpuize (Hines 1993), about 5km west of Abingdon. They share characteristics of design, with a generally devolved style of bust and drapery, as seen on this pendant. However, these bracteates were made with matrices, and date to the late 5th to early 6th centuries, whereas Anglo-Saxon pendants modelled on Imperial coins made with patrices (as this one) have links to Style II, and are thus later.Date: A date in the 7th century AD is likely for this bracteate, given its probable manufacture using a patrix and its links to Style II bracteates.
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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