EARLY MEDIEVAL GIRDLE HANGER

500

Fragment of copper-alloy girdle-hanger, of early Anglo-Saxon date. The upper part and suspension loop survive, consisting of a flat rectangular shaft 3mm thick, with a thicker top decorated with a narrow pair of transverse grooves at the bottom, then a wider transverse groove and at the very top a wide transverse moulding. Above, the shaft narrows and thickens to form a suspension loop which is pierced sideways with a sub-circular perforation. 6th century, c. 500-600 AD.Kathrin Felder has seen the drawing of this object and has confirmed the identification as a girdle-hanger fragment as 99% likely. It was originally identified as a middle Anglo-Saxon object of unknown function.