DEV-63FD40: Medieval copper alloy horse harness pendant

Rights Holder: Danielle Wootton
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HARNESS PENDANT

Unique ID: DEV-63FD40

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow status: Awaiting validation

A medieval copper alloy horse harness pendant. The pendant is shield-shaped with the remains of an attachment hoop projecting from the top. The front face of the pendant depicts a lion rampant within a shield-shaped border; much of the red enamel remains on the lion. The back of the pendant is plain. Shield-shaped (type I) pendants are thought to date from the 14th century, and would have been attached to the leather harness for a horse. However, some pendants with gems or bearing inscriptions are thought to have been for personal use.

Notes:

An illustration of a horse wearing a harness with attached pendants can be seen in the Mappa Mundi (c. AD 1300) at Hereford Cathederal. Chaucer, writing in the late 14th century wrote:

'And, whan he rood, men mighte his brydel here

Ginglen in a whilstling wind als cleere

And eek as loude as doth the chapel belle' (The monk's portrait, 169 - 171, Canterbury Tales)

(Griffiths, N: Finds Research Group Datasheet 5; Griffiths, N: 'Harness Pendants and Associated Fittings' in The Medieval Horse and its Equipment, ed Clark, J).

Subsequent actions

Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder

Chronology

Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1300
Date to: Circa AD 1399

Dimensions and weight

Quantity: 1

Rally details.

This object was found at Buckland Brewer, Devon 2013

Personal details

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Materials and construction

Primary material: Copper alloy
Completeness: Complete

Spatial metadata

Region: South West (European Region)
County or Unitary authority: Devon (County)
District: Torridge (District)
Parish or ward: Buckland Brewer (Civil Parish)

Spatial coordinates

4 Figure: SS4120
Four figure Latitude: 50.95743304
Four figure longitude: -4.26529561
1:25K map: SS4120
1:10K map: SS42SW
Grid reference source: Centred on parish
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.

Discovery metadata

Method of discovery: Metal detector
General landuse: Cultivated land

References cited

No references cited so far.

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Timeline of associated dates

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Audit data

Recording Institution: DEV
Created: 10 years ago
Updated: 6 years ago

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