UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT

Thick flat piece of copper-alloy plate, made in the shape of a bird or animal head. The neck is narrow (6 mm wide) and broken (fresh break). The head is bulbous, with two triangular ears projecting at the back, a curved brow/eye area, two short pointed jaws or an open beak, and a curved chin. The upper face of the plate is smoothly polished, and no added decoration can be seen; although there is a hint of a circle in the eye area and a possible curve for the cheek, these appear to be just smooth areas with slightly less corrosion and slightly higher polish. The edges are bevelled with visible filemarks on some parts of the bevel, and the plate is 2-4 mm thick. The reverse is lumpy and unfinished, and is slightly concave. The exception to the poor finishing of the reverse is at the tips of the jaws or beak, where there are small turned-under projections. Although other examples of this object type are known (e.g. at least three from Norfolk) its function remains unknown. Despite its zoomorphic style, it does not seem of any great age - possibly medieval, but more probably post-medieval.