HARNESS PENDANT

Unique ID: IHS-E74588

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow status: Awaiting validation

Notes:

The design does not appear to be heraldic, although it uses heraldic motifs; the diagonal dividing lines are too narrow to be the charge known as a saltire. Further, although charges surrounding a saltire are known, it would be most unusual to find a mediaeval set of arms bearing a saltire surrounded by two different pairs of charges arranged in this manner. In spite of the piece's apparent lack of heraldic import, it is possible that it formed a family's badge; there is also a slim possibility that the piece is referring to the English Royal arms in some manner: examples are known where a single lion passant guardant surrounded by fleurs-de-lys appears to have served as an English identifier of some sort, and this could be a more ornate example of the same. If this is the case, the lion passant guardant has been replaced by the lion's face, a charge which fills the diamond-shaped space it occupies rather better than the whole beast would; both the face and the fleur-de-lys have been distorted to fill their allotted space as fully as possible

Subsequent actions

Current location of find: Returned to finder

Chronology

Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Date from: AD 1300
Date to: AD 1430

Dimensions and weight

Quantity: 1
Length: 48 mm
Width: 35 mm

Discovery dates

Date(s) of discovery: Tuesday 1st January 2002

Personal details

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Other reference numbers

Other reference: Originally York Horsegear 147a

Materials and construction

Primary material: Copper alloy
Secondary material: Enamel
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Complete
Surface Treatment: Gilded