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Description: | Description: A gilded silver early Anglo-Saxon pyramidal scabbard mount. The mount, in plan is a sub-square, and in profile is a trapezoid. The base reveals the mount is hollow, with an integral transverse bar running across the centre. The exterior of each of the four side panels is filled with a wide curvy squiggle, consisting of a standing arch (inverted U) with upturned ends. Each of these shapes has a ridged border and a slender, low-relief central groove, and is set within a trapezoidal low-relief border. There is gilding surviving between the curved shapes and the low-relief border, but none in the curved groove, so it is possible that the grooves were originally inlaid with niello, none of which now survives. Alternatively the pyramid may have been gilded over part of its surface only.The pyramid is truncated, with a flat top consisting of a square perforation, around which is another low-relief border. It seems likely that the hole in the top is not original, but that the pyramid originally had a sunken panel in the centre; by comparison with other pyramids, this panel may have been filled with a flat-cut square garnet. The border around the top, and the top of the trapezoidal panels, are worn.Dimensions: It is 12.12mm long, 11.43mm wide and 5.01mm high. It weighs 1.53g.Discussion: The function of pyramidal mounts is still uncertain, but it seems likely that they were used to help secure the sword in the scabbard. Two were famously found in the high-status graves of Sutton Hoo Mound 1, but they are relatively uncommon grave finds. They are, however, common accidental losses. Two very similar examples to this pyramid, with the inverted U decoration and a garnet-set top, have been recorded on the PAS database: LIN-05D862 from West Lindsey, Lincs., and SWYOR-F22FB2 from Drax, North Yorkshire. There are over 50 of these mounts in total recorded on the PAS database.Date: Pyramidal mounts of this type were introduced c. 600 AD and continued in use for the rest of the century. During the course of the seventh century the pyramids become taller and their bases take on more various shapes, becoming circular, hexagonal and octagonal as well as square. The relatively low shape and small size of this example indicates a date in the first half of the century.
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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