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Description: | A copper alloy Medieval harness pendant with an inscription probably dating from AD 1300 - 1400. It is circular with eight projecting lobes. The uppmost lobe extends into a suspension loop at right angles to the plane of the pendant. The lobe opposite is perforated with a dome headed copper alloy rivet with a rove on the reverse. The rivet is 5.3mm long. The pendant is ornately decorated. In the centre is a gilded six petelled flower. This is surrounded by bare metal patinated to green, and then a ring of red enamel. another reserved ring is outside this, and then on on field of dark blue enamel is a legen or lettering in gilded letters. Unfortunately, this is illegible. It appears to be 13 letters long and the only two letters which are legible are "D N" which are adjacent and about half way through the inscription. There is a gilded border round the dge of the pendant. Each lobe is decorated with a concave sexfoil or six petelled flower, and is gilded. The reverse of the pendant is also gilded. The pendant is 35.8mm long, 29mm wide and 7.3mm thick. 6.18g.The only two inscriptions usually found on harness pendants are "*IE SV ICI EN LVI D AMI" or 'I am here in place of a friend' as sene on CORN-865ED2, and AVE MARIA GRACIA. Neither of these seem to fit this example. NMS-5ADD83 is of similar design and like others on the database, has a crown of thorns depicted. This could be an alternative interpretation for what looks like lettering, but it does appear to be letters of different shapes. Compare also DENO-104682, NMS-679CF2 and SUR-410F65, the last two of which also have the extra rivet. Most of these examples have a 14th century date.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/ | Go to resource |
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