Rights Holder: Bristol City Council
CC License:
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Unique ID: GLO-62BFB1
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
Cast copper alloy stirrup strap mount, Length 46mm, width 31mm thickness 5mm, weight 15.03g. The artefact has a rough pentagonal shape in plan, there is a rivet hole at the top with the remains of an iron rivet still in place, the area surrounding the rivet is heavily encrusted in iron corrosion. Either side of the rivet is a slight decorative knop. The face has been engraved with series of images and knotwork, the main image is of two beasts, possibly dragons, with the heads running down the length of either side, both facing outwards, thick necks that converge in the centre of the piece, and the bodies have narrowed waists. Further knotwork surrounds the animals but this is decorative. The sides are slightly concave and follow the line of the top of the heads of the beasts. There is silver within the decorative recesses, but none remaining anywhere else on the artefacts, suggesting that silver wire was probably hammered into the recesses in order to make the decoration stand out more. At the bottom on the reverse side of the object there is a rectangular expansion which is projecting backward, this is sloping at a slightly greater angle than a right angle from the main body. There are two revert holes on this projection. The object has suffered considerably from corrosion removing its entire original surface and leaving a pitted dark greenish brown layer with lighter green patches. The art style of the corresponds with the Viking art style Ringerike or Urnes. Similar examples are illustrated in Williams, 1997, pages 27-34 and are classified as Class A Type 1 mounts that date to the dates to the 11th century.
Class:
strap mount
Sub class: Williams Class A, Type 1
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Ascribed Culture:
Anglo-Scandinavian style
Date from: Circa AD 1000
Date to: Circa AD 1100
Quantity: 1
Length: 46 mm
Width: 31 mm
Thickness: 5 mm
Weight: 15.03 g
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Other reference: 1598
Primary material: Copper alloy
Secondary material: Silver
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Complete
4 Figure: SO7521
Four figure Latitude: 51.8869913
Four figure longitude: -2.36464534
1:25K map: SO7521
1:10K map: SO72SE
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
No references cited so far.