Rights Holder: Suffolk County Council
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Unique ID: SF-64FB55
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
An incomplete cast copper-alloy mount, possibly a hanging bowl mount of Anglo-Saxon date. Approximately one quarter of the object survives, the remainder now missing due to old breaks. It is disc-shaped in form and with a slightly concave profile. The areas of the object suggest that there may have originally been a central aperture or small moulded setting/decorative motif of some kind. On the front face of the object there is extensiver moulded decoration. This comprises a raised circumferential border with multiple incised notches or strokes that produce a beaded/corded appearance, with the remains of a moulded octagon(?) at the centre of the plate. Radiating from each corner of the octagon towards the outer border are narrow ridges that separate the mount into neat triangular segments and each have similar notched/beaded decoration to the outer border. These ridges have alternating terminal ends. One ridge ends with a forked terminal that meets the outer border and forms a small triangle containing a central pellet. The next has a split terminal that extends outwards and forms two opposing spirals, one in each of the neighbouring triangular segments, with small comma shaped motifs pendant from their base. There is an additional pellet in the external angle of the split terminal. From what survives of the object it appears as thought these motifs continue to alternate around the mount. The back face of the mount is undecorated, slightly concave and has a flattened outer edge that contains traces of an added white metal coating, probably solder of some kind. It measures 39.11mm in surviving width, 22.33mm in length, 2.18mm in thickness, and weighs 5.25g.
This is an incomplete object of probable Anglo-Saxon date. Its form is suggestive that it served as a mount, probably for a hanging bowl, similar to examples published by Brenan (1991). In terms of decoration it draws some parallels with hanging bowl mounts (e.g the basal disc published from Sutton Hoo by Brenan, 1991: no. 54, fig. 54d-e) as well as from headplates on radiate headed brooches (MacGregor, 1997: nos. 65.6-7, 117.4). These suggest a probable date range in the 6th-7th centuries AD.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 500
Date to: Circa AD 700
Quantity: 1
Length: 22.33 mm
Width: 39.11 mm
Thickness: 2.18 mm
Weight: 5.25 g
Date(s) of discovery: Tuesday 1st September 2009
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Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brenan, J. | 1991 | Hanging Bowls and Their Contexts | Oxford | British Archaeological Reports 220 | no. 54, fig. 54d-e | ||
MacGregor, A., with Flora, H., Lloyd, M., Hook, M. and Roberts, L. | 1997 | A summary catalogue of the Continental archaeological collections: Roman, Iron Age, Migration period, early Medieval | Oxford | Archaeopress | nos. 65.6-7, 117.4 |