Record ID: GLO-4906E6
Object type: SCABBARD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Gloucestershire
Workflow stage: Published
Description: A gold fitting or button, consisting of a squashed, formerly domed, cap with a long, narrow attachment loop inside and a four-lobed setting on the flat top of the dome. This formed a number of separate cells, but unusually, it seems that the setting was made in one piece and then applied to the dome. The setting is surrounded by a round frame which has been half torn off. No inlays remain. Moulded S-shaped interlace decoration. Discussion: The function of the object is unclear. While resembling sword-scabbard buttons, the object has a longer attachment loop of flattish…
Created on: Wednesday 7th July 2010
Last updated: Thursday 11th October 2018
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: NMS-Z32B24
Object type: SCABBARD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Norfolk
Workflow stage: Published
Hemispherical gold and garnet sword-button or scabbard-button of early Anglo-Saxon date. The closest parallels are in the Staffordshire hoard; the Sutton Hoo buttons, and DENO-2A0601, are of a more sophisticated form. Date: Early 7th century Description: A hemispherical gold mount inlaid with garnets, originally attached by a gold staple on the reverse. The boss is built upon a circular base-plate at the centre of which is a central tube of gold sheet. Attached to this are set eleven radiating gold sheet walls with curved outward-facing edges, to create eleven cells. The bottom …
Created on: Thursday 15th July 2010
Last updated: Wednesday 16th November 2016
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Griston', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: NARC-2CE634
Object type: SCABBARD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Northamptonshire
Workflow stage: Published
An early Anglo-Saxon, gold and garnet round setting. 7th century AD. Slightly distorted through post-depositional plough action. The outer edge is surrounded by a double frame of twisted bead wire and finely beaded wire. The central setting is domed with six cells. 5 cells have the red garnet still in place. One garnet is missing. The empty cell reveals that the thin gold leaf holding the garnets has stamped cross hatching. The backplate is round and plain with two holes pierced off centre. The suspension loop is complete protrudes from the holes. The hole created by the loop is 5mm l…
Created on: Thursday 5th November 2009
Last updated: Wednesday 12th February 2014
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Northamptonshire area', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: SF5196
Object type: SCABBARD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Suffolk
Workflow stage: Published
Gold casing for a pyramidal scabbard mount in the form of a truncated pyramid, decorated with filigree zoomorphs on each face and a square-cut plate garnet at the apex. The casing is made from four sheets of gold, soldered edge to edge, with the joins on the display surface disguised by worn beaded filigree. Each of the four faces is ornamented with a single knotted snake-like zoomorph within a fine beaded filigree border. The zoomorphs are arranged in pairs and their bodies are made of triple-strand beaded filigree. The pairs are different in both form and execution, as if mad…
Created on: Monday 9th April 2001
Last updated: Thursday 24th February 2011
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Near Bury St Edmunds', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: IOW-B39526
Object type: SCABBARD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Isle of Wight
Workflow stage: Published
Gold strap or belt mount of Early Medieval, late sixth/early seventh century date (c. AD 575 - c. AD 625). Treasure case no. BM2005 T116. Length 6mm, diameter at base 11.5mm. Weight 1.97g.(including earth left in situ). The mount is made from a short length of beaded gold wire wound six times to form a cone whose apex is filled with an individual gold bead. The mount is hollow and bridged by a narrow gold strip under which a strap could be threaded.
Created on: Thursday 11th August 2005
Last updated: Wednesday 13th November 2013
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Calbourne Parish', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: SOMDOR-F381A4
Object type: SCABBARD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Dorset
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A gold strap fitting from a scabbard or sword-belt, set with cloisonné garnet and opaque pale blue glass over pointillé gold foil. The strap mount is in the form of a truncated pyramid with squared-off edges. The top and the lower edge of one side of the fitting are damaged and the cell work is slightly distorted. The surface is also partially covered with earth making it sometimes difficult to assess if cells are empty or not. However it is clear that some of the garnet and blue glass inlays are missing while others have slipped sideways into the cells. Each face is filled with an …
Created on: Monday 7th November 2005
Last updated: Wednesday 15th June 2022
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Dorchester', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: DENO-2A0601
Object type: SCABBARD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Nottinghamshire
Workflow stage: Published
Tiny but beautiful gold and garnet sword-button from a sword-scabbard. The circular backplate has a circular depression in the middle and a scrap of gold rod lying across the very centre, presumably the remains of the attachment loop. There is a small hole in the backplate which is currently full of earth, but which might allow access to the centre of the button for detailed examination of its construction. The cell walls of gold are soldered to the gold backplate, forming a double row of 13 pairs of tiny rectangular cells around the edge. These have a few garnets surviving (although …
Created on: Tuesday 16th November 2010
Last updated: Tuesday 15th October 2013
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Cotgrave', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: NMS-FCD6CD
Object type: SCABBARD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Norfolk
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Description: A cast gold and garnet pyramidal mount from the early-medieval period. The mount has an octagonal base, four main triangular faces and a flat top. Each face is decorated with a simple cloisonné design comprising a triangular cell above a rectangular to sub-trapezoidal cell, most of which are inlaid with flat-cut garnets. The edges of the pyramid are inlaid with rectangular garnets shaped to follow the rounded turn of the edge, and at each lower corner are triangular facets also containing flat-cut garnets. Many of the flat-cut garnets appear to be backed with gold foil. …
Created on: Monday 17th September 2018
Last updated: Tuesday 5th May 2020
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Alby with Thwaite', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: BUC-87B54A
Object type: SCABBARD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Hampshire
Workflow stage: Published
A copper-alloy pyramidal mount with a gold sheet covering. The mount takes the form of a truncated pyramid with four sub-triangular faces and a square top. This is recessed to take an inlaid red stone, presumably a garnet, backed with a patterned foil. The mount is hollow inside and has an integral bar running transversely across the base. The gold sheet covers the entire surface of the mount, excluding the base. Each face of the pyramid is edged with two strands of beaded wire, the outer strand being significantly thicker than the inner one. The border is exceptionally worn in pla…
Created on: Tuesday 1st November 2016
Last updated: Monday 4th September 2017
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: IOW-1855E4
Object type: SCABBARD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Isle of Wight
Workflow stage: Published
Pyramidal mount from a sword belt, with an octagonal base and architecturally balanced faces filled with cloisonné cell-work. The mount is made from gold, and the surface is decorated with sixteen pentagonal panels of two sizes, the larger rising from the base to interlock with smaller panels falling from the top of the mount. All are clearly defined by thick walls and are filled with cell-work in repeating patterns using simple cell forms. The cell-work is made from lightweight gold strips which are soldered to a single backing plate of sheet gold that lines the interior of the…
Created on: Monday 6th October 2003
Last updated: Wednesday 24th August 2022
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Isle of Wight', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: PAS-141C31
Object type: SCABBARD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Luton
Workflow stage: Published
Gold hemisphere set on a back plate and edged with beaded gold wire, diameter 14.5mm, ht. 10.4mm; total weight with detached loop 3.54g. The sides of the dome are divided by beaded wire into four fields below two rings of beaded wire framing a tall plain collar on the top. The collar holds a damaged piece of dark blue glass. Each of the side panels carries a curl of beaded wire, some ending in triple gold granules and granules are tucked into the corners of the design. A small hole near the base shows a void, indicating this is not solid gold but has or had an inert core such as sulphu…
Created on: Monday 17th May 2010
Last updated: Wednesday 24th August 2022
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Luton', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: NMS-81FAC8
Object type: SCABBARD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Norfolk
Workflow stage: Published
Description: Gold sword pyramid, square-based and low in height. Each of the four sides is inlaid with three cloisonné garnets in two designs, matching on opposing sides. Design 1 has a T-shaped cell at the top which is probably best described as a truncated triangle with a stepped-out base, like an arrow or Christmas tree shape. This is above two symmetrical garnets divided by a vertical cell wall, both garnets therefore L-shaped. The other, Design 2, is more unusual, with the lower left-hand garnet having a stepped boundary with the other two, whi…
Created on: Thursday 15th April 2021
Last updated: Wednesday 10th May 2023
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'South Norfolk', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: NLM-A8D5FE
Object type: SCABBARD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Gold and gemstone scabbard mount fragment. Cast gold ‘sword pyramid’ comprising two conjoined trapezoidal sides and a square framed top, now flattened in the manner of a flat-pack and perhaps originally formed as a flat sheet cut and folded to shape – if so, the mount would have been both hollow and fragile. The back appears plain. The lower edges are frayed as it they had formerly continued. The larger and more complete side [with longest edge of 18.3mm] has a triple border of cabled or twisted gold wire. The edge of the outermost strand is also visible from the bac…
Created on: Monday 2nd October 2023
Last updated: Friday 6th October 2023
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'near Holton le Clay', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: SUSS-E87D3D
Object type: SCABBARD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: West Sussex
Workflow stage: Published
Description: An incomplete Early Medieval Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet pyramidal mount, a strap fitting from a scabbard or sword-belt dating c. AD 600-700. The hollow pyramidal mount has a square base with rounded corners, and four main triangular faces terminating in a flat top. Each side is decorated with an almost identical complicated cloisonné design of gold cells set with plate and bar garnets mounted over waffle stamped gold foils. Some of the garnets are missing and some cells contain earth, making it difficult to assess exactly ho…
Created on: Tuesday 18th October 2022
Last updated: Tuesday 1st August 2023
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'near Stopham', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: NMS-A61494
Object type: SCABBARD
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Norfolk
Workflow stage: Published
Gold pyramid mount from sword, square base with flattened corners caused by triangular settings at the base of each corner with beaded wire on two sides, two of which contain garnets. Square setting for (missing) stone at apex. Hollow with two semicircular holes ( 7 x 3.5mm and 7.5 x 3.5mm) in base divided by a bar 2.5mm wide and c. 1.5mm thick. Constructed from two pieces of metal, one for the base and another for the sides. The join between the two edges of the sides can be seen on one face. Base 9.5 x 10mm, height 13mm, weight 5.08g. Early Saxon, late 6th - early 7th century
Created on: Wednesday 29th March 2006
Last updated: Monday 2nd December 2013
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Near Swaffham', grid reference and parish protected.