Rights Holder: Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum
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Unique ID: WILT-9FFDA7
Object type certainty: Possibly
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
An Early Medieval (Romanesque) to 14th century (1100-1400) copper-alloy possible terminal from a drinking horn. It is curving in profile, both upwards and slightly to one side, measuring 62.04mm in length and weighing 21.95g.
The terminal comprises a hollow conical socket terminating in a zoomorphic head, most likely a dragon or other mythical creature. At the open end of the socket (13.09x12.46mm 'in diameter', internal 10.49x10.19mm) are four rivet holes for attachment purposes, c.1.4mm in diameter. The socket is plain until the area just before the curve and running up to the head, which has grooved decoration to the upper face only. This has two X shapes formed of a pair of grooves and separated by a group of three transverse grooved bands, with an additional groups of three transverse bands above and below. The socket also narrows to the point of the three central bands, 7.66x6.55mm. It then starts to bend upwards and expands slightly to 8.25x6.17mm behind the head.
The three dimensional head curves slightly to one side, and the top of the head curves upwards while the bottom jaw appears to extend downwards a little. It measures max.9.27x11.15mm. Although this bend is a bit uneven, there does not appear to be any stress on the metal, suggestsing the uneveness of the bend is not through damage. However there is a worn crack in the metal along the inside of the curve on the side of the socket before the head, and the corresponding edge where one might expect to find strain, has some diagonal tooling/ filing marks.
The head has inverted-U shaped ears projecting from the top of the head, and turned through 90degrees to face outwards. The top of the head is decorated with numerous raised ribs in a V formation, stacked inside each other, and terminating at the brow ridge. Below is a rectangular area arranged around the edge of the V-shaped brow and presumably representing the eyes. T the centre of this is a pari of short horizontal incised lines. In front, a long D-shaped lip extends upwards, curling upwards at the very end. The bottom V-shaped lip is shorter and appears to extend slightly downwards, and a V-shaped tongue of similar length to the bottom lip extends between the two.
Kevin Leahy, National Finds Adviser, comments ' This could be a terminal from a drinking horn although, at 13mm, the diameter seems a bit small. The curve, however, looks right. Stylistically, it looks Romanesque but I have seen similar heads on objects which must be later in date' (pers.comm. 2012).
This has been noted as an interesting find by the recorder.
Class: Terminal
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1100
Date to: Circa AD 1400
Quantity: 1
Length: 62.04 mm
Width: 13.09 mm
Thickness: 12.46 mm
Weight: 21.95 g
Diameter: 13.09 mm
Date(s) of discovery: Thursday 1st September 2011 - Wednesday 30th November 2011
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Other reference: Salisbury Museum Entry Form 3786
Grid reference source: Generated from computer mapping software
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
No references cited so far.