EARLY MEDIEVAL HOOKED TAG

700

Description: Silver hooked tag of middle or late Anglo-Saxon date. The plate is circular with two circular piercings for attachment close together towards the top. The hook is short and rectangular-sectioned, with the tip missing. The plate is decorated with a central repoussé boss (hollow on the reverse) with an engraved line around it partly filled with niello inlay. From this radiate six engraved lines, again partly filled with niello, which join an outer engraved circle. These lines were probably intended as pairs forming the lower and two side arms of a cross; where the upper arm should have been is now completely removed by the perforations. The engraving, where it can be seen beneath the niello, consists of tiny zig-zags as if the tool was rocked to push it through the metal. This may have been designed to provide a more secure foundation for the niello.Dimensions: Length 14.5mm. Width 12mm. Weight 0.6g.Discussion and Date: Hooked tags with circular plates are known from the 8th to 11th centuries. This example, with its central boss, may be imitating a 9th-century design (compare KENT-E9F568, LON-585A83, etc). Engraved crosses, whether simple or complex, are a common motif throughout the middle and late Anglo-Saxon periods; compare KENT-AB7CA4, SF-1EFD68, ESS-2C8575, KENT-A31134, NMGW-A96F63, KENT-1100A8, LON-EE0F14, FAKL-410AC3, NMS-0D94F3, etc.D field