MEDIEVAL HARNESS PENDANT

1250

A Medieval incomplete copper alloy horse harness pendant, dating from 1250-1400 with the design of a crowned head. The shape would have been hexagonal with scallop-shaped projections at each corner, but it is incomplete because the loop, and the projection it was attached to have broken away along with the upper part of the pendant. What is left is of a very high quality. The crowned head design on the pendant is intact. The bottom projection has been pierced for a rivet which is made of copper alloy and has a domed head. The rivet is still in place, complete with the washer at the back of the pendant; which would have attached it to the leather of the horse harness, to stop the pendant "flapping". The crown has five projections. Unusually, to each side of the head are beaded hangings. These could be meant to represent hair for a King or Queen (plaited for a Queen), or the pendants of an imperial crown.The pendant measures 26.56mm from top to bottom, 29.89mm wide, and 2.63mm thick. The length of the rivet is 6.43mm. It weighs 6.82gm. The crowned head, the outer frame with its projections and the reverse still has most of its gilding. The background has almost all its enamel, which is either very dark blue or black.The crowned, facing, head is a much used theme and symbol in the late middle ages. It is used on belt mounts, and especially the folding clasp belt buckle. See Egan and Pritchard "Dress Accessories 1150-1450", item 568, page 119. The crowned head is also frequently seen in sculpture and stained glass. Visit York Minster Chapter House and Chapter House vestibule to see some of the best examples. The pendant, and all these other items can be compared to the style of the King's Head from the new coinage of Edward I, which continued through the rest of the medieval period. See David Harpin "Late Medieval Coin Brooches" for a discussion of this, especially pages 113-117, in "The Yorkshire Numismatist", 2012.A similar pendant is illustrated in Steven Ashley, "Medieval Armorial Horse Furniture in Norfolk", item 163, page 17. Also see the PAS Database for other similar examples; DENO-41E647, FAKL-946880, SUR-43A1D5, SF-CA98F4.