Anglo-Saxon Bronze Girdle Hanger Pair

An excessively rare and almost complete copper-alloy hanging bowl and associated fittings comprising: (i) the bowl with three attached matching hooked escutcheons and suspension rings (ii) the basal disc (iii) a body fragment (or possible repair patch) (iv) a curved bronze fragment (ii) the basal disc with separate frame (iii) fragment of copper-alloy sheet, possibly forming part of a repair to the base of the bow (iv) a curved copper-alloy strip (iv) four skeletal fragments from a sheep or similar. 381 grams total, 3.6-20 cm



Found whilst searching with a metal detector in Ryedale, North Yorkshire, UK, on Sunday 5th February 2023 by Chris Ulliott. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme report no.YORYM-59523A. Accompanied by a hand written signed letter from the finder explaining the circumstances of finding. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11897-207827.

Hanging-bowls are high-status vessels with origins in the Roman period which continued in use only in Britain and, later, in Ireland. They appear in burial contexts which date them to the sixth to late seventh century. The form of this example is paralleled by the bowl from Hadleigh Road, Ipswich, Suffolk (British Museum accession number 1984,0103.9) which has a similar shape and kite-shaped escutcheons secured by three rivets (Bruce-Mitford, 2005, Corpus No. 86).

Of Hines's Group I with border of facing masks to the headplate, two discs within incised frames and raised mask between; shallow bow with three ribs, the median one with a central boss and extending to a small beast-head between the curled horse-head lappets; lozenge-shaped footplate with ropework border and facing bearded mask, lateral lobes and lobe finial with an inverted facing mask; applied silver-sheet detailing to the edges of the footplate; remains of pin-lugs and catch to the reverse. 114 grams, 14.5 cm



Found Scampton, Lincolnshire, UK. From the private collection of Alan Harrison, circa 2000. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11900-204376.

An exact parallel for the Scampton brooch is not known, as is typical for these hand-items made by lost-wax casting processes in one-piece moulds. The brooch falls within Hines's Group I and shares many features with an example from Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire (Hines, 1997, no.13) although the latter has a Style I panel on the headplate whereas the Scampton example features two raised discs within incised squares, a feature also found on finds from Duston (and Linton Heath (Hines, 1997, pl.11)). This brooch was recovered by a metal-detectorist in several pieces over a period of some years, and re-assembled. It was published by Leahy in his authoritative work on the Kingdom of Lindsey.

Comprising mainly Thomas's Class A Types 1, 2 and 5, many with silver inlay and niello; two tongue-shaped types. 54.6 grams total, 34-51 mm



From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.

Thomas' Class A is the classic ‘long’ 9th-century strap end with animal-head terminal, often depicted in the Trewhiddle style. During the 9th century, for the first time in the Anglo-Saxon period, we see the adoption of what may be termed a 'national' artistic style - the Trewhiddle style - which has been recognised on objects from Anglo-Saxon England, from as far as Cornwall and Talnotrie, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland.