Anglo-Saxon Bronze Zoomorphic Strap End

With an animal head in relief to one terminal, ears laid back against the body, the body with geometric ornament inlaid with niello. 10.5 grams, 56 mm



Found near Brandon, Suffolk, UK, late 2000s.

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).

Split along the upper edge of the plate; two slight flared lobes below the piercings for the attachment rivets; central panel ornamented with a length of tight interlaced knotwork and a zoomorphic terminal with triangular ears, bulbous eyes and a ribbed square snout. 8.44 grams, 37 mm



Found Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK.

Both the interlace and the animal-head are drawn from the 7th-8th century manuscript tradition. This is a standard 9th century typology, seeming a nice version of the Trewhiddle style, closely allied to the early 9th century 'Tiberius' group of manuscripts, characterised by exuberant animals which are the descendants of the winged creatures and other sprightly beasts common in 8th century metalworks.