BUCKLE

An incomplete cast copper-alloy 'gaping mouth' buckle of medieval date (1100-1200).

Description: The buckle remains as the zoomorphic terminal of the buckle frame. The object is sub-rectangular in plan and oval in cross-section. It takes the form of a beast's head, possibly a cat, with gaping mouth. The upper half of the object has moulded features, taking the form of a brow bone extending into the bridge of the nose and snout. Either side, are elongated oval eyes and beneath these angled ridges, possibly to represent whiskers. Just above the brow bone are small pointed ears which project upwards and outwards from the object. The underside of the object is flat and undecorated. The corners extend upwards to join the now missing buckle frame. The base of the object on both the upper half and reverse half is curved. The object is hollow with a sub-circular aperture running through the entire length of the object widest at the top and narrowing towards the base. The object has a light green patina with red patches.

Measurements: length: 19.9mm; width: 15.5mm; thickness: 12.9mm; weight: 6.82g

Discussion: Numerous similar buckles have been recorded on the PAS database, for examples see: SWYOR-2DC3E1, SWYOR-343D2D, OXON-315948, LIN-3D61B5, SWYOR-B57064, NMS-3D5AA5, ESS-407791 and SF-E1A115.

This type of buckle has been studied by A. Rogerson and S. Ashley, who have christened it the 'gaping-mouth beast' buckle. It is the subject of an article in Medieval Archaeology (2011). They consider that the head is of Romanesque appearance and so a 12th-century date is likely.