EARLY MEDIEVAL PENDANT

625

Gold necklace pendant containing Roman mosaic glass inlay. The pendant is oval, with the domed glass inlay snugly set in a simple shell. The pendant is framed with a border of finely beaded wire, which is itself enclosed in an outer border of twisted beaded wire. A suspension loop rises from the outer border and is made of swaged sheet. This pendant, along with another similar example (KENT-963135) and a gold spacer bead (KENT-7009B3) would have been strung on a high status necklace of mid 7th century AD date. Similar pendants were found in grave 172 in the Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Sibertswold, Kent. X-ray fluorescence analysis of this pendant indicates a composition of approximately 54% gold, 43% silver.