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.
UKDFD lists a similar strap end at number 15027 and identifies it as a type similar to Haldenby Group - c 9th century AD
ReplyDelete