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Description: | A medieval cast copper-alloy heraldic harness pendant, dating to c.1250-1400. The pendant is lozenge shaped. It still has its loop which is complete and pierced from side to side. Virtually all the enamel remains, but the surface of the metal (with any gilding that once might have been present) is lost. Elsewhere there is a dull brown patina, with hints of green patina on the reverse.The dark blue enamelled background now stands proud of the surface, and into it are sunken three motifs that represent water carriers. Each consists of a pair of drop-shapes with the narrow tops joined by a horizontal yoke, with a cross-piece below. These may originally have been made from another colour of enamel that has disappeared entirely. There is also, however, a narrow sunken border around the edge of the pendant, and it seems unlikely that this was also enamelled. It is perhaps more likely that a considerable thickness of metal has been corroded or eroded from the surface, leaving the enamel now proud. In this case the sunken motifs would originally have been flush with the enamel, and probably gilded, giving them a gold colour. The water carriers are known as 'bougets' and so the likely blazon (description of arms) is Azure (blue) three water bougets or (gold).It measures 46.36mm long, including the loop, x 33.83mm x 3.10mm thick. The loop measures 7.46mm long x 2.88mm thick x 6.96mm thick. It weighs 13.51g.The arms of Azure three water bougets or were borne by William de Ros (or Roos) of Igmanthorpe who died c.1310. He is listed bearing these arms in several Rolls of Arms, e.g. the Collins Roll c.1295, and the Parliamentary Roll c.1310. See Cecil R. Humphery-Smith, Anglo-Norman Armory Two, 1984, p.220. The Parliamentary Roll also lists another William de Ross as bearing gules (red), three water bougets argent (silver). He died c.1316, was of Helmsley, and was a cousin.On the PAS database is one pendant, SWYOR-441B51, and one mount, WILT-13D9C4, with similar arms; but both these have the red and silver configuration of the cousins. NCL-C3B6F7 is some sort of mount with a water bouget, which is no doubt a Ros family representation. Also on the database is an unusual badge of a water bouget, silvered, DUR-E89C8F, again a Ros family item. The record for this item also tells us what a bouget is.The present record, is then, the sole representation on the PAS database of the Ros arms with the blue and gold arms. A further confirmation of the identification of the arms is that this pendant was found by Wetherby Road on the outskirts of Tadcaster, which leads in the direction of Igmanthorpe, only about 5 or 6 miles away.See PUBLIC-2F92B8 and PUBLIC-B25318 for further discussions of the manufacturing technique.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/ | Go to resource |
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