STIRRUP

An incomplete late early-medieval (1000-1100) copper-alloy zoomorphic stirrup strap mount with a worn and incomplete loop at the apex. It retains two corroded iron rivets in the flange. The stirrup is a Williams Class A, Type 1 and is sub-pentagonal in shape, being slightly convex at the front. This face is worn but grooved decoration can still be seen. Two sets of parallel lines run diagonally across the face from a central point to the edge of the mount, forming a V-shape. The point of the lower V is crossed by a transverse groove which runs in parallel to the rivets below at a distance of 7.4mm. This is likely to have been of zoomorphic inspiration, with two addorsed beasts (heads angled downwards) as is typical for this class. Perhaps a third of the rounded loop at the apex remains, the break being old and worn. Below this to either side the edges of the object project outwards in a slight concave curve to the ears of the beasts. This point is the maximum width at 28.5mm.The sides then taper inwards to a width of 22.2mm, then on one side flares out to a knopped snout. The other edge is vertical at this point.
Below the knop two in situ iron rivets sit within a rectangular area with a grooved rectangle around. The flange extends to the reverse (Type A, common right angle), 9.6mm in depth. The rivets measure 3.5mm in diameter. Corrosion of these rivets have stained the surface of the mount around them. The patina of the mount is a dark green-grey. There is no decoration to the reverse and the flange is filled with orange corrosion.
The object measures 41.2mm in length, 28.5mm in max.width, 3.2mm in thickness and weighs 18.38g.