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Description: | An incomplete copper-alloy swivelling strap fitting of Medieval date. One incomplete loop survives, the remainder now missing due to old breaks. The loop is D-shaped in form, tapering at both sides to stylised zoomorphic terminals. These are in the form of animal heads with projecting ears and brow, and open snouts, decorated on their heads with central grooves. The snouts grasp the attachment end, which is hemispherical in form and missing most of its integral rivet or shaft due to old breaks. The entire object measures 21.53mm in length, 21.64mm in width, 4.03mm in thickness (at frame, 10.34mm at attachment end), and 7.68g 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-8C64EA, SF-8DF606, 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: | https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/ | Go to resource |
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