|
Date: |
|
Description: | A complete silver early-medieval Read, B. class C single sharp-hooked triangular hooked-tag dating to the mid to late 11th century AD. This hooked tag can alternatively be classified by the Lewis, M. & Naylor, J. 2013 typology as a B1.c.ii (un-lobed).The plate is triangular with the shorter, horizontal, edge of the plate having been shaped by the removal of outwardly curved 'V's, so that instead of a flat edge two lobes are suggested with a small knop at each corner (a continuation of the border, described below) and a single knop between each pseudo lobe. A slight groove is present to either side of the central knop that tapers away from the edge towards the centre of the plate forming a 'V'. Within each pseudo lobe there is a circular perforation of 2.1mm diameter. The upper surface of the plate is decorated with shallow incised linear and curvilinear line decoration. The plate is bordered along the two longer edges by a line running parallel to the edge which is segmented by transverse incised lines spaced approximately 1.7mm apart. The centre of the upper surface of the plate is filled with a curvilinear symmetrical design, certain areas of which have been filled in with short cross-hatched incised lines. At the narrower end of the triangle, at the junction between the plate and start of the hook, the plate rises up to take on a zoomorphic form. Tiny rounded ears with slightly concave centres are positioned towards the plate and the eyes, towards the hook, are tear-drop shaped each being defined by a small incised line and have a single dot at the centre. The plate has a maximum width, across the pseudo lobes, of 17.3mm which tapers to 4.1mm at the base of the zoomorphic zone. The plate has a length of 31.8mm and thickness of 0.9mm.The hook has a flattened oval to sub-rectangular cross-section and continues to taper, for a length of 7.7mm, from the base of the zoomorphic zone to a width of 2.4mm before recurving backwards. The hook terminates in a sharp point behind the top of the hook just before reaching the underside of the zoomorphic zone. The cross-section is almost circular by the tip of the hook. The hook has a thickness just below the zoomorphic zone of 2.1mm.The reverse surface is flat and undecorated with the exception of the rear of the zoomorphic zone. This area shows multiple indentations which over-lap each other to form a sub-oval concave. These marks on the reverse surface indicate the points of contact with the marker's tool that was used to beat, punch or press the metal upwards from a flat plane to form the raised area of the beast's head on the upper surface. Each mark seems to be a sub-oval shape, measuring 2.3mm x 1.5mm, which would indicate that the tool was of this shape however the over-lapping positioning of the marks makes this uncertain.This hooked tag has a weight of 3.5g and a length of 39.8mm.See Read, B., 2008 Hooked-Clasps and Eyes Langport : Portcullis Publishing, pp.23.Consequently, in terms of age and as the object contains a minimum of 10% precious metal it qualifies as Treasure under the stipulations of the Treasure Act 1996.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/ | Go to resource |
|
More Like this...
-
-
-
-
-
HOOKED TAG
A cast copper-alloy Anglo-Saxon/Early-Medieval hooked…
-
-
HOOKED TAG
A complete Early-Medieval copper-alloy hooked…
-
-
-
|