HOOKED TAG

Treasure case 2012 T149.

Description: Middle or Late Anglo-Saxon hooked tag made from gilded silver. The tag has a flat, broadly circular plate with eight semi-circular lobes forming a scalloped edge; some of the lobes have rather angular corners rather than being smoothly curved. At the top, three of the lobes are pierced by circular attachment holes for attachment, and opposite them at the bottom is an integral complete sharp backward-curving hook.

The plate is decorated on the front with an engraved design forming an elaborate cross-and-circle motif. In the centre of the cross is a grooved square with concave sides. This is surrounded with a second concave-sided square with cut corners giving it eight points in total. From each of these points projects a line which meets an indent on the outer edge. These lines create the expanding arms of the cross with expanding segments between them. The four arms of the cross are further decorated by engraved lines which run parallel to the sides of the arms; these are joined towards the outer end of each arm by a groove in the shape of a double concave curve with a central point.

The segments between the arms are decorated with a short transverse line near the centre then a longer transverse line running across the entire width of the segment. These lines combine to give the shape of a circle that is overlaid by the arms of the cross. Beyond the circle, each segment between the arms has a U-shaped incised line, the points towards the centre and the curve echoing the curve of the outer edge of the segment.

The attachment holes have slight raised edges on the reverse suggesting they were drilled into the plate from the front. They are placed symmetrically, two within the engraved U-shaped lines at the end of segments and one in the end of the upper cross arm.

The hook is thicker than the plate and oval in cross-section. It bends back 180 degrees and ends in a sharp point. There is no collar between the hook and plate.

All of the engraved lines are made up of punchmarks or rocked movements of an engraving tool. There are worn traces of gilding on the front and very distinct patches of gilding on the back, and some minute traces of niello inlay in the engraved U-shaped line around the left-hand attachment hole.

Dimensions: It is 21.4mm long, 16.5mm wide, the plate is 0.6mm thick and including the return of the hook it is a maximum of 4.0mm thick. It weighs 1.16g.

Discussion: Hooked tags appear to be all-purpose fasteners, probably used to secure small bags or purses and also clothing. They occur in various forms and can date from the 7th to the 11th centuries.

There are many examples of hooked tags decorated with incised crosses and circles, but many have plain circular outlines. Scalloped or lobed examples on the PAS database include IOW-906193, SF-1EFD68 and NMS-CC35D2 (all in silver, but with two attachment holes only) and SF-FD3346, NMS-E7CD35 and NMS-20FA23 (all in copper alloy, but with three attachment holes).

Despite the number of parallels, a precise date for these hooked tags remains elusive. The double connecting line motif has been suggested as a feature of the 11th-century Ringerike style (see LANCUM-FD0AD2) and there have also been suggestions of a 9th-century date (see KENT-AB7CA4 and SOM-CD8D98).