MOUNT

Several stray finds of similarly-sized lozengiform objects, often pierced at each terminal for attachment, are recorded on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database, including WILT-B11376 (Kington St Michael, Wiltshire), LEIC-3EBE93 (Wardley, Rutland), LIN-8FCB77 (Aunsby and Dembleby, Lincolnshire) and SF-31F506 (Clare, Suffolk), differing in that the attachment holes are at 90-degrees to the plate. Other examples have been sold at auction in recent years: see http://www.timelineauctions.com/lot/gilt-bronze-hair-pin-link-fragment/32450/ (no provenance, sold for £109 in 2014), http://www.time-lines.co.uk/anglo-saxon-trewhiddle-beast-pin-connector-024692-35932-0.html (no provenance or sale information), http://www.time-lines.co.uk/anglo-saxon-opposed-scrolls-pin-mount-020414-30524-0.html (still onsale as of 10 April) and http://www.time-lines.co.uk/anglo-saxon-knotwork-pin-link-019345-30469-0.html (still onsale as of 10 April 2015). These artefacts are generally interpreted as connectors for linked dress pins, like those from the River Witham in Lincolnshire (British Museum, 1858,1116.4). Dr Helen Geake commented that the Dorchester mount may be a link from a similar set of pins, or alternatively a book mount (pers. comm. 2014). Linked pin connectors were typically attached to pins via rings through the pierced terminals. The rivets and solder-like material on this artefact may mean that it was re-purposed as a mount for another object, perhaps a box or book. Iron corrosion on WILT-B11376 and LIN-8FCB77, which also has a rivet in situ within one of the piercings, suggests similar reuse of such artefacts.

Dr Kevin Leahy notes that the decoration on the Dorchester mount resembles that on the River Witham pins (pers. comm. 2014), which date to the eighth century. Several of the lozengiform mounts referenced above are similarly decorated with eighth-century-style interlace. A close parallel in terms of form and decoration is NMS-EDBFDE (South Norfolk) on the PAS database, decorated with similar zoomorphic interlace featuring a speckled beast; but the object's terminals are not pierced and it may be part of a pin rather than a connecting link. Stylistically, as well as morphologically, the Dorchester piece fits well with these objects and is also likely to date to the eighth century.

This mount is more than 300 years old, composed of more than 10% precious metal and therefore should be considered Treasure under the terms of the Treasure Act 1996.