Rights Holder: St. Albans District Council
CC License:
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Unique ID: BH-79CD7A
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A medieval copper-alloy shield-shaped mount with enamelled decoration and gilding.
The decoration on the slightly domed upper surface of the shield consists of 21 horizontal bands, arranged in a repeating pattern of white-enamel-filled cells, gilt ridges with longitudinal central groove, and blue-enamel-filled cells. The sides of the shield, also gilt, extend downwards, forming a near-vertical rim, which frames the hollow underside. Two damaged, perforated lugs angle outwards from the bottom ends of the top right- and left-hand corners respectively, and it is likely that such a lug would also have been located at the basal point.
Height: 50.3mm; width: 59mm; depth/thickness: 7mm. Weight: 18.9g.
Unfortunately, it has not proved possible to attribute these arms to a particular family. The blazon, which can be described as 'Barry Or Argent and Azure', is unusual in that it contains two metals, in addition to the colour. Although not contrary to the rule of tincture, as the two metals are described as being beside rather than on one another, the employment of the two metals together is unusual and may indicate that this piece is decorative, as opposed to representing an accurate coat of arms. Shield-shaped mounts are discussed by Nick Griffiths (1989), who suggests that this type (no. 9), with projecting loops, may have been designed to have been riveted to wood or leather and stood proud of the surface, leaving room for a strap to pass beneath (ibid. 2). Griffiths dates shield-shaped mounts to the 13th and 14th centuries (ibid. 1).
Class: Heraldic
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1200
Date to: Circa AD 1400
Quantity: 1
Length: 50.3 mm
Width: 59 mm
Thickness: 7 mm
Weight: 18.9 g
Date(s) of discovery: Thursday 1st October 2015
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Other reference: Ver 15/141 - 2
Primary material: Copper alloy
Secondary material: Enamel
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
Surface Treatment: Gilded
Grid reference source: Generated from computer mapping software
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Griffiths, N. | 1989 | Shield-shaped mounts, FRG datasheet 12a | London | Finds Research Group 700-1700 |