Gilt Silver Mount

Gilt Silver Mount

Archaeology

AN00753200_001_l. Gilt silver mount apparently originally V-shaped, consisting of two U-shaped metal strips which converge in a three-dimensional animal head. Both strips are broken off, the lower one close to its junction with the animal head. The animal head has sharp, scrolled ears, blue-glass eyes and its tongue curls out between its fangs to touch the throat, which has a hatched collar matching scrolled hatching on its forehead. The longer strip is decorated or gilded on one side only and was riveted to wood or leather by triple rivet sets with domed heads; these were apparently arranged in alternating patterns of plain or knurled heads. The edge has decorative diagonal mouldings, and the face bears a runic inscription.
Inscription Transliteration: s b e / r æ d h t 3 b c a i / e / r h / a d / æ b s. All these images are © Trustees of the British Museum. These free low-resolution images are covered also under the British Museum's Terms and Conditions (http://www.britishmuseum.org/about_this_site/terms_of_use/free_image_service.aspx). The full image collection is available at: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database.aspx where you can also order high resolution copies.

British Museum

8th century