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Description: | An incomplete Medieval (1250-1500) copper alloy enamelled lozenge-shaped heraldic horse harness pendant, with a broken loop and missing probable gilding (or silvering). It is blazoned bend azure on engrailed cross gules impaling three bends gules, and is probably the arms for a marriage (Laura Burnett pers.comm. 2012) .The original surface has been lost (with gilding or silvering), leaving the enamel decoration standing proud of the present surface. It measures 43.44x30.05x6.67mm and weighs 11.81g. Excluding the loop it measures 33.39mm long and 2.94mm thick.There is a possibility the arms may be dimidiated, and in which case the sinister (right hand) side of the pendant would represent or, three chevrons gules, the arms of the de Clare family, Earls of Gloucester. However it doe not belong to any of the main de Clare heiresses as all their husband's arms are well recorded. 'Dimidiation' was an early way of showing the arms of a husband and wife together on one shield (basically, the shields of the two people are cut in half and a half from each is put together to make a new 'whole' shield; dimidiation was less common after about 1300-1310).With many thanks to Laura Burnett, Somerset FLO, for her help with interpreting the heraldry on this harness pendant.
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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