DIE STAMP

Early Saxon die or matrix for the production of a C-bracteate, comprising a cast copper alloy circular-sectioned block (weighing 113.84 g), with a design in intaglio on the upper face (diameter 28.5 mm). The slightly larger base (diameter 31-2 mm) is undecorated, as are the slightly concave sides (height 22mm). There are some areas of corrosion and slight pitting on the sides and base and a recent scrape on the side.

The decoration on the upper face is rather worn. It bears some resemblance to decoration on a bracteate from Market Overton, with triple-strand limbs and beaked heads, illustrated in Sachsen und Angelsachsen (1978), p. 205, Abb. 20.

Charlotte Behr comments (based on images and not an examination of the object):

The images of the die are correctly orientated, with the animal in the lower half and the head (or what should be an anthropomorphic head) in the upper half. The design can be described as showing a highly stylised quadruped animal looking to the left (on the matrix) with an anthropomorphic head above. The animal has a bell-shaped head with a large open mouth and a round eye. Neck and upper body are pronounced (the large triangular impressions). The trunk of the body is broad, narrowing towards the end and leading to the hind leg, which ends in a curved foot tightly pressed underneath the body. There appear to be two front legs starting from the triangular space between front and hind body parts. One leg is bent backwards and ends in a prominent elongated triangular curved and pointed foot (underneath the hind leg) and the second front leg is stretched forward and there appears to be another prominent curved and pointed foot just underneath the animal head. Body, head and legs are framed by contour lines.

The anthropomorphic head above the animal is shown as a small triangle, perhaps a nose, pointing to the left (on the matrix; right on the impression). This is the feature just above the front and body part of the animal. A line, presumably part of the hairstyle, links this triangular head with the hind part of the animal. Above the head is a prominent hairstyle, with a central ridge surrounded by two curved contour lines, round towards the front and pointed towards the back where a circle is just above it, indicating a round hair curl. There is in front of the hair a crescent-shaped feature.

The motif belongs to a large group of C-bracteates that have been found along the North Sea littoral from west Norway to Jutland, northern Germany, Frisia and England. All known English C-bracteate finds belong to this one particular motif group.

The drawing of the C-bracteates from De Valom is far more detailed, but is essentially the same motif in a mirror-image version. Similarly, the closely related C-bracteate from Lakenheath-Eriswell is mirror-image to a bracteate made from the new die.

Apart from Lakenheath-Eriswell, there are several more comparable examples: the two pendants from Morning Thorpe (Norfolk; grave 80), one from Longbridge (Warwickshire), Kirmington (Lincolnshire), Chippenham (Cambridgeshire) as well as the recent finds from East Leake (Nottinghamshire) and Bridlington (Humberside). Market Overton (Rutland) has the same animal but instead of the head a bird.