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Description: | An incomplete cast copper-alloy strap fitting, probably a swivel strap fitting, of Medieval date. Half of one loop survives intact, the remainder of the object now missing due to old breaks. The surviving loop fragment is D-shaped in section with an incomplete rectangular bar at one of the breaks, is form indicative that the loop was originally D-shaped in form. At the bar end the loop terminates in a stylised animal head with open mouth gripping the bar. This has swept back and projecting oval shaped ears, prominent globular brows and a short, flaring snout that is oval sectioned. The entire object measures 24.14mm in length, 10.93mm in width, 4.71mm in thickness and 2.74g in weight. Swivel strap fittings such as this were employed for a variety of functions during the Medieval period and as such a specific function cannot be attributed to them. They are more often found singly rather than complete (see for example SF-5619F0, SF-B7D766, SF-73B814 or SF-F0D4D8), although complete examples are also recorded (see for example SF-CA5816, SF-235495 or SF-CF7C46). The stylised animal head is typical of this class of object, and the entire appearance and manufacture of the object indicates a date range in the 12th-15th centuries AD.
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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