Rights Holder: The Portable Antiquities Scheme
CC License:
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Unique ID: LANCUM-1E0CB1
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A complete, cast silver pyramidal scabbard mount with gilding and gemstone inlay. The mount is in the form of a four-sided pyramid with a flat, square top. Each face is decorated with two rows of recessed, chip-carved interlocking triangles, five on the lower row and three on the upper. The recesses all retain gilding, while the rest of the mount is silver. The flat top comprises a cell containing a square red gemstone, possibly a garnet, back with a layer of gold foil. The corners of the garnet are slightly chipped.
The mount is hollow underneath and an integral bar, oval in section and flaring slightly at each end, runs transversely across the centre of the base.
Notes:
This artefact belongs to a growing group of pyramidal mounts typically associated with sword scabbard. Their precise function is uncertain, but they may have helped secure swords in their scabbard by means of a strap running through the transverse bar on the base. Though relatively uncommon as grave finds, they are familiar as stray finds with ever-increasing numbers recorded on the PAS database. Examples decorated with recessed triangles are especially numerous, although often with fewer triangles on each face. They exist in both silver and copper-alloy. Good parallels for the present find include CAMHER-9583E3 (2007 T188), WILT-5EF569 (2015 T525), YORYM-850552 (2002 T16) and BERK-1DF3D2 (2006 T241) which differs from the present example only by a central row of lozenges on each face instead of chip-carved triangles.
Subsequent action after recording: Submitted for consideration as Treasure
Treasure case tracking number: 2018T272
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Ascribed Culture:
Anglo-Saxon style
Date from: Circa AD 600
Date to: Circa AD 650
Quantity: 1
Length: 17 mm
Height: 8 mm
Width: 17 mm
Thickness: 1 mm
Weight: 3.05 g
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Other reference: N6337
Treasure case number: 2018T272
Primary material: Silver
Secondary material: Gold
Manufacture method: Cast
Decoration style: Geometric
Completeness: Incomplete
Surface Treatment: Gilded
4 Figure: SD5169
Four figure Latitude: 54.11452486
Four figure longitude: -2.75106409
1:25K map: SD5169
1:10K map: SD56NW
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.