EARLY MEDIEVAL MOUNT

800

Description: Flat triangular silver object, perhaps a mount, with engraved decoration around a reserved design. The lower parts of the engraving are keyed for niello, but none of this now survives.At the top is a projecting circular terminal, a little thinner than the rest of the mount, which is undecorated and pierced with a circular hole 2.7mm in diameter. The lobe was perhaps around 9mm in diameter originally, but is now missing a small part of its edge. This appears to be a means of attachment which was perhaps designed to be covered with something else, as it is thinner than the rest of the object and undecorated; it was not necessarily intended to be seen.The main body of the object has a triangular panel with reserved ornament against an engraved background which is keyed for the inlay of niello, none of which now survives.The apex of this panel is filled with a pair of pendent lobes, and beneath this is a well-executed symmetrical relief design. In the centre is a squarish reserved lozenge. From the centre of each edge of the lozenge springs a relief stem; each of these stems then interlaces over an outer lozengiform ridge. The stems springing from the upper edges join to form a loop filling the upper half of the object, each one interlacing underneath a reserved H-shaped element (the two vertical lines of the H being semi-circular) and meeting at the top where a rounded leaf hangs beneath the loop. There is a space-filling pellet beneath each of the H-shaped elements.The stems springing from the lower edges of the central lozenge again each interlace underneath an H-shaped element, with a pellet above and below the outer line of each H; the inner line of the right-hand H also has a pellet beneath. The stems end below the Hs in triangular leaves. The lower corner of the lozenge is extended to form another stem which runs down to a large rounded lobe, below which is a semi-circular lobe decorated with a curved groove. To either side are drop-shaped or triangular elements, probably leaves.Outside the decorated panel, along each of the two long edges, is a row of long semi-oval stamps set with their straight edges inwards, giving the impression of a scalloped edge. The short base is decoratively shaped with a pair of nicks at each corner, and four nicks in the centre.The base of the panel is not clearly delineated. The semi-circular lobe merges into the undecorated border, and to either side is another semi-circular reserved area. Each of these side semi-circles is perforated with a small circular hole, each 1.6mm in diameter. The lack of decoration in this area suggests again that the object was not expected to be seen here, and perhaps the mount was originally attached to its backing with three large dome-headed rivets.The reverse is undecorated and a crack can be seen running deeply into the object from one edge.Dimensions: Length 38.7mm, maximum width 21.4mm, maximum thickness 1.15mm, minimum thickness 0.65mm. Weight 2.8g.Discussion: Details of the foliage design can be paralleled on many similar Trewhiddle-style designs. Drop-shaped leaves can be found on objects such as the Fuller brooch (Webster and Backhouse 1991, no.257; BM accession number 1952,0404.1) and interlacing stems are common (compare BH-013524 and KENT-A58993). The H-shaped elements are harder to parallel but may be an attempt to show interlace under and over a reserved roundel (compare DEV-90ED44); the central lozenge can also be paralleled among Trewhiddle-style designs (e.g. NARC181 and NMS-FE0C90).The function of this object is less easy to determine. It seems to have been tightly riveted to a base, but no parallels have been found. BH-013524 is another triangular mount with Trewhiddle-style decoration, but this has an iron backing and again no function can confidently be assigned to it.Date: The use of the Trewhiddle style dates this object broadly to the 9th century.