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Description: | A possible early Anglo Saxon copper-alloy figurine. The figurine is three-dimensional, with a narrow moulded oval head, (16.9 long,9.1mm in diameter) with two dot eyes drilled into the face. The body is sub-rectangular in plan (28.3mm long) and a flattish rectangle in cross-section, with the suggestion of moulded arms at the sides. The surfaces are undecorated. The base appears hollow, in the form of a socket with what appears to be iron inside. The base is reminiscent of a knife handle where the blade has snapped off. In total the object is 45.1mm high, 8.5mm wide, 6.3mm thick, and weighs 13.6g.Lisa Brundle, from Durham University, comments that the figurine is similar to a small group of early Anglo Saxon figurines of similar size, all thought to date from the first half of the seventh century. Two of these have square sockets, indicating that they were used as part of a larger object (e.g. those from Tuddenham St. Martin (SF3807) and Great Waldingfield (SF5471), both in Suffolk), but the thin, flat socket of this figurine is quite unusual. The body of the figurine stylistically relates to the Tuddenham St. Martin example and the general function of the object places it nicely within this small group of finds.The drilled eye holes are interesting - with one (the figure's right eye) being more deeply drilled than the other, which might add weight to an early Anglo-Saxon date. The Spong Hill 'chairperson' has a similar eye arrangement (Hills 1980), and the Norse god Odin (corresponding to the Anglo-Saxon god Woden) famously gave up one eye in return for a drink at the fountain of Mimir. There is the impression that the head has been awkwardly wedged onto the body, which is also found among some of the other early Anglo-Saxon figurines. Lisa Brundle also suggests that there may be a faint impression of a headdress or helmet around the face of the figure, with a slightly bulbous part at the top.The group of small early Anglo-Saxon figurines divides into two main types. One has clearly delineated legs (e.g. SF-01ACA7 from Friston, Suffolk; see this record for further examples) and the other has a socket in place of the legs (e.g. SF3807 from Tuddenham St Martin and SF5471 from Great Waldingfield).
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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