MOUNT

A copper alloy Mount of Early Medieval date, probably an element of a Quoit Brooch style buckle assembly

The mount has a flat rectangular cross section and is made up of a rectangular plate with a large circular protrusion above. There are small circular lugs on either side of the circular part of the mount, both of which still retain circular copper alloy rivets. The top of the circular protrusion is irregular is shape suggesting that there could once have been further suspension hole which have been broken away by old breaks. On either side of the rectangular section there are molded zooamorphic heads with their ears protruding up and the snouts towards the base. The faces are incised in detail. There are three small circular rivet holes on either side; one of which on either side still contains a circular copper alloy rivet. The base of the mount has a rectangular flange with is pointing forward. There is a triangular protrusion from the base either side of which is decorated with incised close lines. This suggests that the base was meant to have been seen.

There is what appears to be iron corrosion on the surface of the mount obscuring much of the decoration. On what can be seen on the circular section is made up of an inner circle of pellets inside of which is a voided long cross design with a central pellet. out side of the circle is a plane of heart shapes stamped on at 12, 3 ,6, and 9 o'clock, and then facing the other direct at 4, 8 and 10 0'clock. the heart at 4 o'clock appears to have been double stamped. The hearts are surrounded by a border of a double incised lines inside of which are pellets. The reverse of the mount is undecorated.

No parallels have yet been found for this mount.

The mount is 49.5mm long, 35.2mm wide, 1.7mm thick and weighs 16.54 grams.