MEDIEVAL STRAP END

1300

Composite strap-end made from three sheets of copper alloy. The central spacer sheet is shorter (27.5 mm) and thicker than the other two. All of the sheets end in a small trefoil terminal with a copper-alloy rivet at its base. One of the outer thinner sheets is decorated at the terminal with a grooved saltire dividing up the foils; this also has a panel of decoration filling the space between the attachment end and the start of the spacer. This is made up of a reserved animal with a grooved outline, with a curled-up tail, unclear head and four legs (boar? dog?) on a background of rocker-arm. There is another copper-alloy rivet at the attachment end; the engraving and rocker-arm runs over this. Length 42.5 mm, width 10 mm. 14th century.