Rights Holder: North Lincolnshire Museum
CC License: 
Image use policy
Our images can be used under a CC BY attribution licence (unless stated otherwise).
MOUNT
Unique ID: NLM-53E540
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
Copper alloy with gilding mount fragment. Cast flat backed plate in the form of the head of a bird with curving bill, probably one of a symetrically addorsed pair, as adduced by ragged broken edges behind the body. An eye is defined naturalistically in relief, as is a nostril at the top of the beak, but the neck and upper body afford fields for curvilinear interlaced ornament, each strand of which comprises paired ridges highlighted by deeply incised (or appearing thus) gutters between them. Dr Kevin Leahy kindly identifies this piece as of Salin Style 2, and as such an indication of an aristocratic context for this piece. The relief work retains extensive gilding. A tiny lug on the back, of length c.4mm which stands proud of this flat surface by c.1mm, may either be a casting flaw or a feature which assisted fixing. The motif of a raptor could be used in martial contexts and might appear on objects such as shields. However, the small scale of this example might be more appropriate to the decoration of a book cover, as for example the Gospel of John who is traditionally represented by an eagle. The eagle motif also appears on a 7th-century brooch from the Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Castledyke, South, Barton upon Humber, North Lincolnshire (Drinkall and Foreman 1998). Suggested date: Early Medieval, 650-700.
Height: 20.5mm, Width: 19.7mm, Thickness: 2.8mm, Weight: 3.34gms.
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Middle
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Ascribed Culture:
Anglo-Saxon style
Date from: Circa AD 650
Date to: Circa AD 700
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Height: 20.5 mm
Width: 19.7 mm
Thickness: 2.8 mm
Weight: 3.34 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Friday 8th November 2013
Personal details
This information is restricted for your access level.
Other reference numbers
Other reference: NLM24984a
Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Decoration style: Zoomorphic
Completeness: Fragment
Surface Treatment: Gilded
Spatial metadata
Region: Yorkshire and the Humber (European Region)County or Unitary authority: North Lincolnshire (Unitary Authority)
District: North Lincolnshire (Unitary Authority)
To be known as: North Lincolnshire
Spatial coordinates
Grid reference source: Centred on parish
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1000 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
Similar objects
Find number: NLM-694867
Object type: BROOCH
Broadperiod: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Copper alloy brooch. Cast small long brooch in particularly good condition, suggesting its recent disturbance from a sealed context - for thi…
Workflow: Published
Find number: FAKL-D3BEBA
Object type: PIN
Broadperiod: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Iron pin, probable Early Medieval, Anglo-Saxon. Now corroded and damaged the pin had an original length of 60.0mm and a diameter of around 3.…
Workflow: Published
Find number: NLM-B0FF7A
Object type: BROOCH
Broadperiod: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Copper alloy brooch fragment. The cast mid to lower bow and foot of a small long brooch. The upper end retains a relict of a mid-bow curved mo…
Workflow: Awaiting validation
Timeline of associated dates
About Us
About our Site
Find us
The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG.
T: +44(0) 20 73238618