Medieval Knight's Heraldic Horse Harness Pendant

Hoop with expanded and facetted shoulders, octagonal bezel engraved with three stylised ships over a highly stylised plant motif. 11.12 grams, 24.41 mm overall, 20.25 mm internal diameter (approximate size British U, USA 10, Europe 22.52, Japan 21)



Private collection formed since the 1940s. UK art market. Property of an Essex gentleman.

One bearing the bust of a crowned monarch; one with GW over a madder-bag, showing that he was a dyer; one with partial legend within beaded border to one face and coat of arms to the other; one with partial legend 'THE [COMMON WEA]LTH' and arms of the Commonwealth (1649- 1660); one bearing a cloth-worker's privy mark. 35.5 grams total, 18-32 mm



Acquired on the UK market, 1990s. Property of a retired academic.

Elton explains (p.269) that though similar in shape to a wool-sack, the madder-bag 'has a series of criss-crossing lines representing the cordage holding its contents in place during the vigorous dyeing process'.

The circular high-quality die bearing a central star/sun over crescent moon with concentric pelleted borders enclosing Latin legend in Lombardic script: 'S' IOh' D' LA POLE CANP'; probably the counterseal of John de la Pole, Second Duke of Suffolk, of facetted hexagonal-section stem with pellet trefoil to show orientation when in use, collar and pentagonal suspension loop; accompanied by an impression. 8.7 grams, 19 mm



Found whilst searching with a metal detector near Wantage, Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire, UK, between January and May 2011. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.BERK-749E31.

This seal has been designated of 'County / local importance' in the PAS record, which provides the following interpretation of the inscription: 'The second Duke of Suffolk was John de la Pole, born 27th September 1442. He was Constable of Wallingford Castle and High Steward of Oxford University. He also held the manors of Deddington and Ascot in Oxfordshire from 1477 A.D. He died c. 24th July 1492 (Richardson 2011:48-49). His mother, Alice Chaucer, was the granddaughter of the poet Geoffrey Chaucer (author of the Canterbury Tales). Alice, who died in 1475/76 A.D., is buried in her home village of Ewelme, where the de la Poles spent much of their time. John de la Pole's official seal is recorded in the British Museum Catalogue of Seals (1894:398), and is described as 'a lion rampant queue fourchée'. The matrix now offered is likely to be a personal seal, such as were often used for private correspondence or as a counterseal, when applying a seal of office.