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Description: | A copper-alloy Early Medieval hanging bowl mount or escutcheon of Anglo-Saxon attribution, dating to the c. 7th century AD. The mount consists of a discoidal mount body, with a zoomorphic hanging terminal. The zoomorphic terminal is comprised of a small curved and moulded head which faces the reverse of the mount, with raised traces of features such as snout, eyes and ears or brow. Following this, a sub-rectangular thick neck curves and connects to the decorated disc by means of a shallow semi-circular collar, followed by a cusped edge and a further, larger semi-circular cusped collar. The zoomorphic terminal connects to the disc at this point and the connecting point is located at the perfect top circumferential edge of the mount. The disc itself is very slightly convex, with an incised circumferential edge slightly inside of the outer edge of the object. Within the object, elaborate decoration emphasises detail and adds further design work to the object. The zoomorphic terminal is incised with a repeating decoration down the vertical centre of its curving neck, with a wedge-shaped double-line filled in with narrowing chevrons, which created a braided pattern. The cusped area between the smaller and larger collars is decorated with a large 'V', and the top of the larger semi-circular collar is decorated with further chevron or 'V' shapes, overlapping to create a braided or possibly tree-branch decoration. Traces of tinning or silvering are visible on the large V in the cusped area and on the lower braided or tree-branch decoration, highlighting the detail. Following this, the entirety of the mount body is filled with recessed cells, consisting of a swirling motif similar in style to that of the Battersea Shield or similar mounts from this period. Within the recessed areas, a large degree of red enamel is still intact. Within the very centre of the mount, a recessed circle has been inlaid with red enamel alternating with millefiori glass circles and a central extremely elaborate quatrefoil decoration which has been outlined with small red dots. Areas of raised copper alloy creating the recessed decoration have been further incised, particuarly in areas where the metal is thicker for design effect. The outer circumference of the mount disc itself has also been tinned or silvered.The reverse surface of the object is slightly recessed and there is a buff-coloured substance around its edges, suggesting perhaps that this object was soldered or otherwise fixed into place.The mount measures 50.21 mm long, 36.46 mm diameter (at disc), 4.18 mm thick (at centre) and weighs 23.2 grams.The most common decoration on these types of hanging bowl mounts is the triskele, but other forms such as the scrolled cruciform is known too (NLM-07E6BC). The date range suggested by Geake (1999: 17) for the deposition of all hanging bowls is c. 600 - c. 725 AD.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/ | Go to resource |
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