MEDIEVAL PENDANT

1450

Treasure reference number 2014 T491: a silver-gilt tau cross pendant. The pendant takes the form of the Greek letter tau, set within a twisted wire frame. The cross appears to be soldered to the interior of the frame. A suspension loop is located at the top of the frame, and a wire hoop is attached to this. The frame measures 28mm in diameter and 1.5mm thick. The suspension loop and attachment loop are 4mm in diameter.Both faces of the cross have a deep groove running around the perimeter. One face is decorated with motifs representing the wounds of Christ. In the top left arm is an incised pointed oval wound with a series of droplets issuing from it. This motif is repeated on the right arm, and also at the bottom of the cross. A heart-shaped motif is located in the centre at the top, and a fourth wound, slightly smaller in size than the rest, is incised onto the lower left part of the heart. These motifs are set against a hatched background.The other face is also highly decorated, but set against a plain background. In the top left arm is a black letter 'R', and in the top right arm are three vertical black-letter style lines with barred terminals. A series of incised dots are located between the motifs. The central stem is decorated with motif comprising a bundle of six vertically aligned lines, with a horizontal line cross the middle. A six pointed star decorates the central stem below this, and further dots are located between and around the motifs. Five upward curved lines issue from both bottom corners of the incised perimeters. The symbolism on this side of the pendant is more obscure.ContextThe object was found on top of the latest floor surface in what the excavators believe to be the site of a medieval hospital. The floor surface was sealed by dissolution period rubble, so a date of deposition must be before the early 16th century. This is, of course, in keeping with the dates suggested by the other parallels, which places the main period of use of gold tau pendant crosses in the later 15th century.Discussion and parallelsBy the later Middle Ages the tau cross became associated with St Anthony Abbot, and became a popular amulet for the treatment of Saint Anthony's fire - a toxic condition caused by the consumption of spoiled rye (Husband 1992).A small number of tau cross pendants in gold, silver, and gilt copper-alloy are known from Britain, though these commonly take the form of hollow capsule pendants. The closest example geographically comes from Winteringham, also in North Lincolnshire (Husband 1992). The Winteringham pendant is made of gold and is decorated on one face with a scene depicting the Trinity, and on the other with the standing Virgin holding the Christ Child. Other hollow capsule pendants come from Matlaske, Norfolk (dated circa 1475-85), and another from the Augustinian priory at Bridlington, Yorkshire (also dated circa 1475-85). This latter item shares the hatched background seen on the Thornton Curtis pendant. The backplate of a capsule pendant is also recorded on PAS (SUR-315095). These miniature reliquaries are thought to have contained a herbal compound that was used to treat the symptoms of St Anthony's fire, a condition for which tau cross became associated.A flat tau cross pendant in gold comes from St. James's church, Bath, dated circa 1480-1500. The reverse is blank, but the front is engraved with a representation of St. Anthony Abbot holding a bell with a pig at his feet (Cunliffe 1979: 153, pl. 2; Husband 1992: 25).All three pendants are likely to have held a small bell from the suspension loop, and one might suspect the same was true of the Thornton Curtis pendant.Finally, comment might be made on the twisted wire frame. So far, this is unparalleled; however, it is interesting to note that a number of fifteenth century portraits show gold tau cross suspended from heavy collars, in imiatation of the knotted waist cord of St. Anthony (Husband 1992: 26). Husband has noted that the heavy collar is likely to represent the insignia of the Knights of the Teutonic Order (Husband 1992: 26). It is possible that the twisted wire frame on the Thornton Curtis pendant also imitates this, but is equally it is important to note that similar twisted wire frames are also commonly seen on annular brooches of this period.Other tau cross pendants recorded on the PAS database are SUR-315095, DEV-4EAD04, SUR-7D27D6. A lead pilgrim badge in the form of a tau cross is also recorded (LON-043B88; Spencer 1998). All are dated to the 15th century.