STRAP FITTING

An incomplete copper alloy probable strap fitting, possibly a Stirrup-Strap Mount, probably of Early Medieval to early Medieval, c. AD 1000-1200. The surving fragment comprises of a broadly trapezoidal en face human mask with a hollow reverse. This is surmounted by a sub-rectangular lug with a rounded end and drilled circular perforation, forming an attachment loop. This is flanked by knops which expand from each corner of the mask, probably depicting ears and with the left incomplete. Below the ears the mask tapers to a worn break roughly on the line of the mouth. The detail of the face is cast in relatively high releif, with the most prominent feature being a large, central nose, with moulded details of nostrils. This is flanked by prominently depicted cheek bones, underneath lentoid eyes. The arches of the brows, or potentially the line of a pointed cowl or other headdress, meet at the bridge of the nose and, along with a corresponding set of opposed arches below, enclose a pointed oval field containign a transverse raised sub rectangle. There is also the suggestion of a moustache below the nose, however this is truncated by the break and is unclear.

Dimensions: total length 38.9mm, excluding loop c. 21.2mm; maximum width at ears 30.8mm, tapering to 17.3mm at the worn break below and with the loop above measuring 9.5mm; thickness of metal at nose 4.6mm; weight 7.68g.

No direct parallel for this object has been identified, and though the recorder favours an earlier date range, a later date is not impossible. The reddish, powdery patina of the metal would be consistent with either an Early Medieval or Post-Medieval date.

For the latter the object features broad similarities to a series of strap fittings cast in the form of Jesters and which were identified by the late Geoff Egan as Late Medieval to Post Medieval (c. AD 1400-1600), see: WMID-2E3DA5, LVPL-861A37, WAW-406321 and NLM-8DE224. These are broadly similar in form and both feature a possible pointed cowl or headdress, but the uniformity of the above group is notable, with them all being cast in much higher relief than seen here in addition to invariably hooked ontop of their heads, with a loop below a stylised body below.

The object can perhaps be compared stylisitcally to 11th century metal work such as stirrup-strap mounts of Williams' Class A, type 9. These similarly feature moustachiode facing masks of a generally similar plan. Although seemingly too small, those examples of this class illustrated by Williams (1997) are infact of a comparable size, and a function as a Stirrup-Strap mount should not be ruled out. Similar imagery also featured on other contemporary metal work, see for example IOW-4FA904.