The Portable Antiquities Scheme

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This is an example of a 'hanger' or 'dangler' that may have been attached to any number of things. There are three examples from Kingsholm in Gloucester which seem to have been attached to the corners of a casket, potentially acting as handles, others may have been decorative items of horse equipment, and some from the continent seem to have been hung from a chatelaine. The shank, which is now broken, would originally have finished in a loop. The roundel follows the three legged triskele or whirligig theme seen on other 'hangers' from Britain, however, rather than having the three legs of the triskele meeting in the middle as is common, in this example the 'heads' meet. In the centre, at the point where the three 'heads' meet, is a three-petal flower. The petals flank a central recessed 'circle'. In the middle of each of the 'heads' is a recessed circle looking rather like an eye in a bird's head. It is possible that these three 'eyes' may have contained either enamel or some kind of stone, coral or glass setting. The recesses defining the shapes of the 'heads', 'legs', petals and central circle do not seem to have contained enamel. On the other side of the 'hanger', the side from which the shank rises, the same pattern is seen. However, rather than being defined by recesses the pattern is three-dimensionally moulded. Again, there are recesses that in the 'eyes' of the 'head' may have had some kind of decorative setting. A date in the first century BC/ AD is most likely. Width of roundel - 50mm; length of shank - approx.15mm

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Created: Tuesday 1st April 2003
Updated: Thursday 24th February 2011