BRACTEATE

Gold disc pendant, the suspension loop torn away, and with distortion to the right-hand edge. The pendant is framed with twisted beaded wire, and the front is decorated with triple-stranded beaded wire in a symmetrical pattern composed of two highly stylized interlacing animals. The surface of the filigree is very heavily worn. The back is undecorated, except for traces of scrolled decoration in single beaded wire at the top of the pendant, which must originally have framed the edges of the lost suspension loop.

The pendant is an unusual type of bracteate, a mainly Scandinavian class of disc-shaped pendants which have their origins in local copies of late Roman coins and medallions. It belongs to the sub-class known as D-bracteates, characterised by interlacing animal ornament of a highly stylized kind. Copies were made elsewhere, including England, but this example seems likely to have been made in Scandinavia. The principal decoration of most bracteates is die-impressed, but this example differs in that it is executed in beaded wire; the use of this particular technique, and of a symmetrical transitional Style 1/Style 2 animal ornament, is very close to some Scandinavian examples, such as that from Selvik, Rogaland, Norway (M B Mackeprang, De Nordiske Guldbrakteater (Aarhus, 1952), plate 18, 2), and to the ornament on Danish and Norwegian gold scabbard mouths (e.g., Mackeprang, plate 23, 20, and plate 28, 9 and 10). The vestiges of filigree decoration around the setting for the loop on the back also have their best parallels in Scandinavia.

The parallels suggest that this piece should be dated to the second half of the 6th century. These pendants were imported into England, especially Kent , during the late 5th and 6th centuries, and local versions were also made. They were normally worn on necklaces by high-ranking women, as symbols of status, and as amulets. Unlike the Scandinavian examples, which mostly come from hoards, examples found in England are usually from burials. The find-spot of this piece is entirely consistent with the main distribution focus of the D-bracteates.