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Description: | A complete cast copper alloy strap end of late Early Medieval date, probably the 11th century. It has a split attachment end with a flat triangular plate. This is decorated with an incised border consisting of a single groove that follows the edge of the upper plate, with possible scroll work inside. A single iron rivet pierces both upper and lower plates at the centre of the attachment end. The attachment end tapers horizontally, but thickens, to a waisted middle that has a sub-rectangular moulding of a zoomorphic animal head facing away from the attachment end.Beneath the waisted middle, the strap end expands again to a flat lozenge shaped terminal with five-lobed exterior edge. This lower plate has incised decoration consisting of a tongue-shaped motif that extends down from the centre of the moulded waist to approximately half way down the terminal. To either side single grooves form a border along the edge of the terminal, and then turn to follow the edge of the tongue. The tongue can also be seen as the centre of a fleur de lis motif, with the two widest lobes of the edge moulding forming the side feathers of the fleur. These are decorated with incised double scrolled lines. The middle two lobes on the external edge are decorated with similar, but straight double lines, and the lobe at the terminal of the plate is plain. The back face is flat and undecorated.This is a fairly uncommon design of strap end. Similar examples with waisted middles and lobed terminal ends are recorded on the PAS database from Lincolnshire (NLM-E91463), Derbyshire (DENO-7E4741), Norfolk (SF-67B347) and Nottinghamshire (SWYOR-CBF181). Also WMID-78DFF1 from Staffordshire is a possible example. In SF-67B347, Dr. K. Leahy is cited noting that this type of strap end represents the final stages of the Ringerike style. This suggests a date in the 11th century AD for the current example.This lobe-shaped form is noted by Thomas (2000, 123), who quotes examples from South Ferriby and Goltho, both Lincolnshire (his catalogues nos. 1324, 1235; fig. 3.32D).
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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