HARNESS PENDANT

A copper-alloy harness pendant of Anglo-Saxon date. The pendant is axe-shaped, narrowing in thickness towards the base and with an integrally cast rectangular suspension loop at the centre of the top edge. This has a central circular aperture that is elongated at its upper edge probably as a result of use wear, the base of the suspension loop extending down onto the undecorated back face of the plate. The back face itself appears to have traces of two incomplete but integrally cast circular rivets positioned beneath the suspension loop at the centre of the plate The entire object measures 28.06mm in length, 27.54mm in width, 4.73mm in thickness at suspension loop, 2.05mm in thickness at plate, and 6.80g in weight.

On the front face of the plate is extensive stylised zoomorphic decoration that has thickly applied gilding. This comprises a series of three vertical ridges on the front face of the suspension loop, with single groups of three short ribs on each side edge of the plate and three similar groups evenly spaced on the lower edge of the plate. The front face has an inner border within which is contained zoomorphic decoration depicting three crouching quadrupeds. At the top of the plate is a single creature positioned transversely with feet or claws and head facing towards the suspension loop, thus upside down when the plate is viewed with suspension loop to the top. It has a slightly arched body with long open snout or beak that faces its feet, small circular eye, and elongated L-shaped legs terminating in small feet or claws. Beneath this creature are two symmetrical creatures positioned back to back and with heads at the base of the plate, again appearing upside down when viewed with the suspension loop at the top. They have oval bodies decorated with multiple transverse diagonal ridges and grooves, single pellets for eyes and tapering open beaks or snouts that turn outwards to follow the bottom edge of the plate. Their hind quarters closest to the first creature are oval in form tapering to L-shaped legs that follow the sides of the plate towards their heads, terminating in claw-like motifs. Small fore legs extending between the beak and hind legs, also terminating in claw-like motifs in the pointed corners of the axe-shaped plate. The entire front face has extensive and thickly applied gilding that is worn in places, particularly towards the edges and along the sides.

This is a decorative harnes pendant of Anglo-Saxon date. It finds parallels in terms of form with the Style II harness fittings excavated from Mound 17 at Sutton Hoo (Evans, 2005: pp. 224-236, especially nos. 21, 25) as well as examples recorded from Suffolk (West, 1998: nos. 7.70, 21.9; SF-A3C400), with perhaps the closest example including suspension loop at top rather than riveted back face typical of the Suffolk examples recorded through the PAS from Dorset (SOMDOR-1440D6). The decorative elements have been examined by C. Fern who notes that it falls neither within Salin's Style I or Style II decoration proper but rather somewhere between the two, perhaps a transitional phase (C. Fern, pers. comm.). This suggests that the object is of probable late-6th, or possibly very early-7th, centruy AD date.