EARLY MEDIEVAL STIRRUP

1015

A cast copper-alloy stirrup-strap mount of late Anglo-Saxon date (c. 11th century AD). The mount is sub-pentagonal in form. It has a trefoil apex loop with small side knobs. From this it widens to its maximum width with a further pair of side knobs present. The mount then narrows to an incurved waist below which are a further pair of knobs above the straight base. Above the base are two circular perforations; both contain the corroded remains of iron rivets. The third rivet hole can be found at the apex loop, also with a corroded rivet in situ. On the lower face is a sub-rectangular, perpendicular flange. There are further traces of iron corrosion product on the upper surface of the flange on the lower surface. At the sides of the mount the knobbed protrusions relate to a pair of symmetrical addorsed beasts, although the engraving that often further delineates them is either absent or has been worn away. The mount's form is characteristic of a Williams Class A, Type 1 mount (1997, 26ff.). The beasts have open mouths; their ears and snouts are formed of the knobs described. This artefact now has a variable mid-green patina over a red/brown metal. It curves backwards from the base in profile. It is likely to date from the first quarter of the 11th century to the early 12th century (Williams 1997, 8).