PIN

TREASURE CASE : 2018 T353.

Description:

Silver-gilt figurine in the shape of a bird, an element of a larger composite object, the nature is which is unclear. The bird had a long straight neck and a downward curving beak, circular recessed eyes (originally set with glass or gemstones, now absent), a comma-shaped torso and long straight back that terminates in a truncated tail that appears to have been deliberately cut and filed flat. The entire body of the bird is decorated with a series of neatly incised lines in groups of central 'ribs' with incised lines at angles to these on either side, thus forming chevrons. These are clearly intended to represent the bird's wings and feathers. The neck is decorated with incised parallel lines that meander gently down from the head to the base of the neck. The entire figurine is gilded, although much of this has now worn away.

On the underside of the figurine is a rectangular 'tab' which originally formed the attachment point to a larger object. This is covered in copper-alloy corrosion, which may have leached from the silver or suggest that the rest of the object was made of base metal; the corrosion appears to hide an attachment rivet.

Dimensions:

Surviving l.: 43.1mm Max. width of body: 7.1mm Wt.: 10.16g.

Discussion:

The species of bird is unclear although it is probably a large wading bird and an ibis would be the closest match due to its curved beak. In that regard it has parallels with the ibis toothpicks from the Hoxne treasure (BM 1994,0408.145-6) although this is not to suggest that this object comes from a similar type of object. Avian decorative mounts of Roman date are well documented, with an example in copper-alloy with similar naturalistic decoration and a not dissimilar 'tab' a reasonable parallel (LANCUM-933E5C; note this is also from Yorkshire).

A small group of broadly similar three-dimensional birds thought to be pinheads are recorded from early medieval archaeological contexts. Examples from Newbald, Lincolnshire and Whitby, North Yorkshire are most comparable to the Brantingham find, albeit more stylised; both sites have also yielded Romano-British evidence and thus a late Roman date for these artefacts cannot be excluded (Geake and Kenny 2000, p. 56 with references; see also Gannon 2007, pp. 41-2).

Conclusion:

This item is more than 300 years old and composed of more than 10% precious metal so qualifies as treasure as stipulated in the Treasure Act 1996.

References:

• Gannon, A., Pushing Boundaries: Anglo-Saxon Zoomorphic Pins. In: Moss, R. (ed.), Making and Meaning in Insular Art. Four Courts Press: Dublin. pp. 40-49.

• Geake, H. and Kenny, J. (eds.), Early Deira: Archaeological Studies of the East Riding in the Fourth to Ninth Centuries AD. Oxford: Oxbow Books.

Authors:

Dr Richard Hobbs

Weston Curator of Roman Britain, Britain, Europe & Prehistory,

The British Museum

Dr Sue Brunning

Curator: Early Medieval European Collections, Britain, Europe & Prehistory,

The British Museum