Rights Holder: Oxfordshire County Council
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Unique ID: BERK-9DA1D3
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A complete but worn cast copper alloy horse harness pendant dating to the medieval period. The pendant has a lozenge-shaped body with a perpendicular suspension loop. The upper side of the pendant has a worn enamelled design possibly representing a feline (a lion?) stuck in a tree (see Ashley 2002:17 nos.152-153 for similar). The animal is depicted with its head turned to the viewer, with its front and hind legs and long tail hanging down as it rests suspended in the burghs of a tree; three branches can be seen above the animal and the trunk behind and below the animal. The animal is rendered in white enamel and traces of green enamel can be seen on the branches or leaves of the tree. The mount was probably gilded but no trace of this survives. The reverse is plain and undecorated. While some harness pendants date from the late 12th century the majority are 13th-15th century in date Griffiths (1986:1); this type of harness mount is typical of elaborate pendant sets of the 15th century AD. The design appears decorative or symbolic rather than heraldic.
Other harness pendants recorded on this database with the same design includes HAMP-259078, NARC-E92120, WILT-1783D7 and SOM-F5E618.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Exactly AD 1400
Date to: Circa AD 1450
Quantity: 1
Length: 41.8 mm
Width: 29.4 mm
Thickness: 3.3 mm
Weight: 12.4 g
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Other reference: OXPAS2016.484
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Decoration style: Zoomorphic
Completeness: Complete
Surface Treatment: Inlaid with enamel
4 Figure: SU6524
Four figure Latitude: 51.01171726
Four figure longitude: -1.0748329
1:25K map: SU6524
1:10K map: SU62SE
Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
No references cited so far.