Rights Holder: Oxfordshire County Council
CC License:
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Unique ID: BERK-E067E3
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published
A cast copper alloy horse harness or furniture mount dating to the early-medieval period Irish/Insular c. 700-900 AD. The mount is broadly cross-shaped, with the horizontal arms being the longer of the two pairs; these are broadly sub-rectangular in plan with slightly incurved terminals and decorated with reticulate interlace. The vertical arms are short and squat being rectangular in plan, again decorated with reticulate interlace patterns.. The centre of the mount has a raised seven-petaled boss bound within two concentric bands. The entire front of the mount is gilded and this survives in very good condition. The reverse of the mount is plain but has two integrally cast loops arranged longitudinally along the horizontal arms. These loops may have held a pin to secure the object to a strap, or may also have been rivet holes. Youngs (2001) comments that mounts with this type of decoration and reverse loop belong to a group which is culturally Irish. They may be harness mounts or furniture (box / casket) mounts and are evidence of Viking activity (ibid). There are a number of similar objects recorded on the database including SF8875, NCL-D66725 and LEIC-09D1C8. A very similar mount from South Stoke in Oxfordshire (BERK-14F381) is possibly the closest parallel to this example.
Notes:
The recording FLO would like to thank the finder for providing printed images of the find. The find was not seen by the FLO and measurements are estimates taken from the images provided. The weight was provided by the finder.
This has been noted as an interesting find by the recorder.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Middle
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Middle
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Ascribed Culture:
Irish style
Date from: Circa AD 700
Date to: Circa AD 900
Quantity: 1
Length: 34 mm
Height: 22 mm
Weight: 13.3 g
Date(s) of discovery: Thursday 1st September 2011
This object was found at Weekend Wanderers - Somerton (01/09/11)
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Other reference: 2011.448
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Complete
Surface Treatment: Gilded
4 Figure: SP5028
Four figure Latitude: 51.948256
Four figure longitude: -1.273937
1:25K map: SP5028
1:10K map: SP52NW
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Youngs, S.M. | 2001 | From Ireland Coming: Irish Art from the Early Christian to the Late Gothic Period and Its European Context | Princeton | Princeton University Press |