Strap end or not? - 27

Made from a copper alloy, being 2.1cm by 1.4 cm,  this strap end is made from one piece of metal folded , three holes created - two with rivets still in place to hold it to the strap

Front

The design is of a beast/dragon, with something being issued from its mouth which continues to the rear of the strap end which carries, what seems to me to be, and abstract design.

Rear

As the piece began life as a flat piece of metal, the design continues from front to back.

Design reinforced and shown front and back.

 The terminal end of both side are roughly cut - the terminal ends of the front and back do not meet - 2/3mm difference between. 

Terminal end showing rough cut.

 I cannot pin down the date of the design, but suspect it to be Norman or thereabouts. 

I think the item did not begin life as a strap end has been recycled from another use.

During the reformation - 1530's - many books were destroyed and the metal strap work melted down or reused. Could this be such an example?


-----------I have since discovered that this may have begun life as an attachment to a belt buckle and is probably medieval.





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Anglo Saxon Strap end No 5

Anglo Saxon strap end 8th or 9th century before cleaning

The strap end is made of bronze. The proximal end is missing, only one rivet hole being obvious. A single curved palmette is visible. The main body of the strap end comprises four inlaid panels, two at the proximal end being the same width but half the length of the two at the terminal end. A small "v" shaped design between the two sets of inlaid panels is visible. The four panels and part of the central v shape are inlaid with niello. Only one of the panels are complete. The panels are of a grey/silver colour. The whole strap end is 40mm long by 11mm wide.

Running down the sides of the strap end is a single groove.

The terminal end is pointed and carries a "v" shaped design.

The back of the strap end is undecorated.

The UK finds database includes a strap end of similar design reference  UKDFD Ref. No. - 30592

Possible iron strap end

Anglo Saxon Strap End - no. 3

Anglo Saxon Strap End

Bronze

3.8cm by 1cm

 

 

Zoomorphic beast head with ears

 

 

Panel design which I cannot identify - I am not good a spotting what the maker intended should be seen in the designs - this one seems to have a white inlay? I will need to be careful during cleaning.

The panel is surrounded by a box type pattern which extends to the terminal end.

The box type design extends to the terminal end.

Two rivets held the strap end in place - one has broken away. One remains intact and judging by the rust was of iron manufacture.

I will need to be careful cleaning this item.

As I have said before, I am open to advice.



Strap end 2 after some cleaning......

I have spent some time cleaning the strap end - mainly with cocktail sticks and water. Cleaning revealed some further silver gilding.

The strap end is

 4.8cm in length

 0.9cm at its widest

Bronze

Cross hatch design with silver inlay

Head is of a beast - the head could also be seen as a crucifix? possibly playing to the Anglo Saxon desire to hide a meaning within a meaning

The terminal end has two rivet holes one of which retains the original rivet.

The following images are post cleaning - I doubt I will clean any further as I have no wish to damage the item.

Strap end 2

Strap end prior to cleaning

Strap end No. 1

This is an interesting strap end. It needs some cleaning, but what is to too obvious from the image is that the strap end carries both silver and gold gilding. The "channels" (don't know the correct wording) have been filled with a silver gild, whilst the central panel and outer edges carry a gold gild.

I have not yet been able to identify the deign in the panel, but hope to with some light cleaning.

The front of the strap end is worn but seems to have "eyes and ears". But will know more when cleaned.

New beginings

I have recently began collecting strap ends - mainly Anglo Saxon. My intension is to blog my collection, how I clean and conserve the strap ends and what I know of their origins etc.

Any comments, good or bad, helpful or not, will be gratefully received.