HARNESS PENDANT

A medieval copper alloy and gilt harness pendant (c. 1050-1250). The pendant is oval in shape, with a suspension loop set at right angles at the top, opposite a short, possible, incomplete loop, which is set flat to the face of the pendant at the other. The pendant features open work decoration consisting of a lion with multiple strands on its mane, with neck curved back so it is looking at the viewer with its head above its body. Two paws rest on something that emerges from its mouth and splits in two curving branches. Overall, the pendant measures 43.1mm long (the oval body measures 30.9mm, 26.1mm wide and 1.1mm thick. It weighs 6.93g. Traces of iron corrosion or red copper alloy are visible on a small area of the surface, possible from the burial enviornment. The surface gilding is fairly complete.

Rob Webley says of this object: "This object is an example of the narrower type of a general type of harness pendants with openwork decoration and basal projections. The general type has a variety of designs, some of which look a bit earlier. It is known across areas of Europe and is broadly dated c. 1050-1250. The most useful thing I've found that's related to these is a pendant or mount (broadly similar, but with the suspension loop in the same plane) found at Llantrithyd ringwork, a site occupied c. 1100-1150."

Other objects of this type have been recorded on the database: SF-951660, DENO-1C6B04 (this example has three strands in its tail) and NLM-00B934. The dating of art style is given as c. 12th century in these other records.