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Description: | An incomplete copper alloy medieval (AD c.1200-c.1400) harness pendant, missing part of its suspension loop. Overall, the harness pendant measures 29.8mm long, 22.1mm wide and 4.8mm thick. It weighs 4.92g.The harness pendant is an elaborate quatrefoil shape. The front has been gilded and enamelled with both red and blue enamel. The front of the pendant has been divided into nine sections, with alternating colours. Red enamel is present at the centre and the corners, with blue enamel top, bottom, left and right. A four legged animal is present in the centre, with a debased fleur-de-lis in each of the blue enamel sections. The animal and the fleurs-de-lis are gilded, though most of the gilding doesn't survive. Grooved dividing lines separate each cell and originally would have been gilded or silvered, though no trace of this remains. The reverse is undecorated. The remains of the suspension loop are present at the top of the pendant and is set at right angles to the rest of the pendant.Two similar elaborate quatrefoil heraldic harness pendants have been published as #212 & #213 by Ashley (2002, p35). He has described the heraldry as follows: Azure a lion passant guardant ?Or/Argent (on a square field, from each side of which springs a fleur-de-lis ?Or/Argent into each foil Gules between four lobes Gules). He has commented that this design is not heraldic but allusive, combining elements of the English arms and the fleur-de-lis of France.Several similar harness pendants have been recorded on the database, WMID-7F4243 being almost identical.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/ | Go to resource |
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