Rights Holder: Birmingham Museums Trust
CC License: 
Image use policy
Our images can be used under a CC BY attribution licence (unless stated otherwise).
HARNESS PENDANT
Unique ID: WAW-491083
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
Medieval (late 13th to 14th centuries) harness pendant. The copper-alloy pendant is flat and lozenge-shaped, with a perforated lug protruding from the upper corner. The lug has been cast perpendicular to the outer face of the pendant. The decoration on the outer face comprises of fess between 6 martlets. The background has traces of blue enamel. The colour of the fess and martlets is not known as the surface is corroded. The surface of the pendant is heavily abraded and has traces of a dark green patina.
The pendant measures 41.72mm long, 30.48mm wide and 6.57mm thick at the loop, weighing 7.41g. The condition of the pendant is fair to poor.
Similar shaped pendants in Ashley (2002) are dated to the 13th to 14th centuries, for example Figure 13.
Ashley, S 2002 Medieval Armorial Horse Furniture in Norfolk East Anglian Archaeology
This harness pendant is published in The Coat of Arms (2017, Third Series, Volume 12(1&2)/no.233&244, 77-78), fig. b.
Notes:
Arms: Beauchamps or Alcester (possibly).
Clive Cheesman (College of Arms, pers comm); For arms consisting of a fess between six martlets see DBA 3, pp. 375-7. With a red field and gold charges it is most closely associated with the Beauchamps of Powick (Worcs.) and Alcester (Warwicks.) but in some cases its use by others (with or without different tinctures) reflected a relationship or association with the Beauchamps. In Worcestershire, for instance, with a black field and white charges it was used by William Wysham. DBA also notes the (tinctureless) version on Birch, BM Seals no. 4429, a seal of the peculiar jurisdiction of the church of Hanbury (Worcs.). It occurs on women's seals: Elizabeth, wife of John (5th) Lord Scrope, and daughter of Margaret Beauchamp of Bletsho (PRO Seals E40 A6808; 1471/2); and Margaret, daughter and coheir of Hubert Hus(s)ey of Stapleford (CA MS Vincent 88 p. 6; 1319) by Margaret Beauchamp his wife, who was daughter of William Beauchamp of Elmley (Worcs.) and sister of the Earl of Warwick. It is likely that the pendant shows the arms of a woman of (or descended from) the Worcestershire Beauchamps, with a woman of the family of William Wysham as a secondary possibility, depending on the uncertain tinctures.
Class: heraldic
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1275
Date to: Circa AD 1400
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 41.72 mm
Width: 30.48 mm
Thickness: 6.57 mm
Weight: 7.41 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Friday 1st January 2016 - Wednesday 8th March 2017
Personal details
This information is restricted for your access level.
Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Complete
Surface Treatment: Inlaid with enamel
Spatial metadata
Region: West Midlands (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Worcestershire (County)
District: Malvern Hills (District)
Parish or ward: Queenhill (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: SO8536
Four figure Latitude: 52.02221259
Four figure longitude: -2.2200111
1:25K map: SO8536
1:10K map: SO83NE
Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
References cited
| Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 2017 | Artefacts reported under the Treasure Act and Portable Antiquities Scheme (2017) | London | The Heraldry Society | 77 & 78 | b |
Similar objects
Find number: SF-D25745
Object type: HARNESS PENDANT
Broadperiod: MEDIEVAL
A cast copper-alloy heraldic harness pendant of Medieval date. It is shield shaped in form with integrally cast suspension loop at the top ce…
Workflow: Awaiting validation
Find number: IOW-3594A1
Object type: HARNESS PENDANT
Broadperiod: MEDIEVAL
A Medieval cast copper-alloy and enamelled heraldic harness pendant (c. 1255-c. 1303). The pendant is in the form of a shield with a straight…
Workflow: Awaiting validation
Find number: DOR-6450AE
Object type: HARNESS MOUNT
Broadperiod: MEDIEVAL
A copper alloy shield-shaped stud with heraldic decoration. The shield is pointed. At the back is a central circular-sectioned stud with a fl…
Workflow: Awaiting validation
Timeline of associated dates
About Us
About our Site
Find us
The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG.
T: +44(0) 20 73238618