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Description: | Incomplete copper alloy openwork object, possibly of Early Medieval date. The piece is flat with a circular centre from which radiate four arms in an equal armed cross shape. Each arm is joined to the adjacent two by double curved bars which start near the current ends of each arm. These bars are narrower than the arms, 2.0 rather than 3.6mm across. These double curved bars have the concave side of the curves closest to the centre and the outer edge is formed of two wide concave cusps flanking a small concave cusp at the centre where the curves meet. The junctions between the cross arms and curved lines, and the shapes of the curved lines, are emphasised by indented V-shaped grooves on the front at the inner side of each junction between an arm and line. The piece is openwork between these curved lines and the centre and around the outer edge. The ends of the cross arms are worn but it appears clear that all four originally extended further or connected to another part of the object. These breaks are now very worn.The front is decorated with lines of small punched circular dots, closely but slightly irregularly stamped. The lines run down the centre of each cross arm, around the circular centre, and along the centre of each double curved line. There is a larger circular indent at the centre of the entire piece. Two crescentic indents on one cross arm terminal are not clearly contemporary decoration and may be accidental damage. The back is plain.The piece is now 42.7mm by 39.6mm and is 3.3mm thick, it weighs 11.13 grams.As the full form of the piece is incomplete without the extensions beyond the cross arm any identification is speculative. H. Geake (Sep 2014 pers. comm.) has suggested it maybe part of a Durchbrochenen Zierscheiben, an openwok disc. It has similarities in form and dimensions to those published by MacGregor (1997: 99, 185-6, 49.1, 80.1-4) from Frankish and Alammanic territories during the Merovingian period, in particular the first listed, although the stamping is much simpler and plainer on this than any of those examples.Barry Ager has helpfully commented: "at first glance it does look as if it might be part of an openwork disc of Renner type, but I'm afraid I can't find a convincing parallel (D. Renner, 1970, Die durchbrochenen Zierscheiben der Merowingerzeit, Mainz). Also, the feature of the median pelleting of the arms of the cross and framework is rather different from the discs. It does appear on a gilt copper-alloy, openwork mount in N. Mills, 2001 (Saxon & Viking Artefacts, p. 69, no. V167), which he suggests is possibly a Viking box mount, but it is flat with a high central boss and an interlace framework without any animal elements in the decoration that might confirm a Viking date. He does not support his dating, although it is presumably based on something like the Borre Style disc brooch on p. 47, which has animal heads round the edges."Other possible identifications include part of a grille, harness pendant or other decorative fitting and it is possibly also earlier (i.e. Roman) or later (i.e. medieval) than suggested.
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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