Rights Holder: Suffolk County Council
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Unique ID: SF-E1A115
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A cast copper-alloy zoomorphic buckle frame of Medieval date, missing the pin due to old breaks. It has an oval shaped frame with offset and narrowed bar that is rectangular in section. What is unusual about this buckle is the outer edge of the frame, which expands to a very large zoomorphic head, perhaps intended to depict a dog or similar animal. The buckle frame projects from the lower edge at the back of the head, the back face of the head itself is flat and undecorated but has a small circular perforation or rivet hole.
The head is hollow, oval shaped in section and with an oval shaped aperture at the outer edge forming the mouth of the animal. The front face has deeply cast decorative elements that give the face its form. At the inner edge is a raised brow with three transverse grooves and small projecting upright ears. The animal has deeply set oval shaped eyes with short snout that has transverse moulded ridges and upturned nose with projecting central knop. Beneath the snout is an undecorated open oval shaped mouth, presumably through which the strap would originally have passed.
This buckle measures 30.73mm in length, 19.41mm in width, 14.88mm in height, and weighs 16.56g.
Similar buckle frames are noted on the PAS database (SWYOR-B57064, ESS-407791, NMS-4A6DC4 and LEIC-385BD8). The type has been studied by A. Rogerson and S. Ashley, who have christened it the 'gaping-mouth beast' buckle. It is the subject of a forthcoming article in Medieval Archaeology (2011). They consider that the head is of Romanesque appearance and so a 12th-century date is likely.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1100
Date to: Circa AD 1200
Quantity: 1
Length: 30.73 mm
Height: 14.88 mm
Width: 19.41 mm
Weight: 16.56 g
Date(s) of discovery: Thursday 1st April 2010
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Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Complete
No references cited so far.