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Description: | An incomplete cast copper-alloy swivel strap fitting of Medieval date. One loop survives, the remainder now missing due to old breaks. The loop is D-shaped in form and section, tapering at both sides in stylised zoomorphic terminals. These are in the form of animal heads with crescent shaped ears, prominent and projecting triangular brows with transverse grooves, and elongated snouts. The snouts grasp the attachment end, which is oval in form with a circular aperture that would have originaly enabled the loop to swivel, the connecting bolt and possible second loop now missing due to old breaks. The entire object measures 24.73mm in length, 25.10mm in width, 3.81mm in thickness (at frame, 8.89mm at attachment end), and 7.33g in weight.Swivel mechanisms such as this were employed for a variety of functions during the Medieval period as strap fittings and as such a specific function cannot be attributed to them. They are commonly found singly rather than complete as in the current example, and the stylised animal head terminals are typical (see for example SF-CA5816, SF-F0D4D8, NMS-DCC0C8, SF-996AD5 or SF-50A562). This indicates a date range in the 12th-15th centuries AD for the current example.
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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