MEDIEVAL STRAP FITTING

1400

Copper-alloy strap-end of 'crescentic' type. The 'crescentic' end is actually sub-circular with an offset sub-circular perforation, the two ends of the crescent being joined. There is a pentagonal terminal, shorter than is usual on crescentic strap-ends, with relief decoration to represent a tree or bush. This has an off-centre circular perforation. The crescentic end is decorated with engraving to represent the roots of the tree or bush within a border. It has two separate copper-alloy rivets near the terminal, and two iron rivets nearer the attachment end; these would originally have held a sheet backplate. Traces of shiny white-metal coating on the front, and on the reverse of the terminal. The overall length is 41 mm and the terminal makes up about 15 mm of this. 30 mm wide max.