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PENDANT
Unique ID: SUR-5DBDA8
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published 
A silver pendant of pear-shaped form, now missing its attachment loop. The backplate is slightly pinked and the sides have double bands of cable-twist edging. Silver teeth hold a black stone, almost certainly jet, which has been carved into the form of a scallop shell with a centrally-projecting standing bearded figure probably intended to represent St James. The feet and upper head of the figure are broken off. A circular hole transversely pierces the jet behind the head of the figure and may have been intended for suspension before the stone was mounted.
Discussion: Two similar pendants of silver and jet have been declared under the Treasure Act; both are smaller (each about 18mm long) and of silver-gilt. 2009T723 is from Lowick, Northamptonshire and 2012T122 is from Reigate, in Surrey. The Lowick example also has a central figure; the jet from Reigate is damaged but may have been similar. A more elaborate, unprovenanced, example is in the Victoria and Albert Museum (Mus. No. A.16-1953) and a 17th century date is suggested for this example.
This group of three pendants is clearly associated with the shrine of Santiago de Compostela and it seems likely that the jet originates from Asturias in northern Spain where it may have been carved.
This pendant has been published by Lewis (2014, 131).
Notes:
This item is more than 300 years old and composed of more than 10% precious metal. It therefore should be considered Treasure under the terms of the Treasure Act 1996.
Class: St James the Greater
Subsequent actions
Current location of find: British Museum
Subsequent action after recording: Acquired by museum after being declared Treasure
Treasure details
Treasure case tracking number: 2012T594
Chronology
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1400
Date to: Exactly AD 1550
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 28.66 mm
Width: 22.79 mm
Thickness: 11.21 mm
Weight: 8.25 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Thursday 30th August 2012
Personal details
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Other reference numbers
Other reference: 12-945A
Treasure case number: 2012T594
Museum accession number: 2013,8026.1
Materials and construction
Primary material: Silver
Secondary material: Jet or Shale
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
Spatial metadata
Region: South East (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Surrey (County)
District: Tandridge (District)
Parish or ward: Bletchingley (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: TQ3251
Four figure Latitude: 51.242912
Four figure longitude: -0.110317
1:25K map: TQ3251
1:10K map: TQ35SW
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
References cited
| Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis, M. | 2014 | Saints and their badges: Saints' Lives and Medieval Pilgrim Badges | Witham | Greenlight | 131 |
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Timeline of associated dates
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