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An Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet pyramidal mount image 1
An Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet pyramidal mount image 2
An Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet pyramidal mount image 3
An Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet pyramidal mount image 4
An Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet pyramidal mount image 5
An Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet pyramidal mount image 6
An Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet pyramidal mount image 7
An Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet pyramidal mount image 8
Property from a Private UK Collection
Lot 123

An Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet pyramidal mount

Antiquities
1 December 2020, 11:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £15,250 inc. premium

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An Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet pyramidal mount
Circa late 7th Century A.D.
Each of the four open-work gold faces decorated with a trapezoidal cell surmounted by a triangular cell inlaid with flat-cut garnets, flanked by a triangular and rectangular cell on each corner, the square top inlaid with a pointillé gold foil backed garnet, some of the other garnets also backed with gold foil, the base folded inwards to form a flange around the hollow centre, 16.2mm high, the base 18.7mm x 18.5mm

Footnotes

Provenance:
Discovered at Alby with Thwaite, Norfolk, on 9 September 2018.
Disclaimed as Treasure by the Crown; treasure report 2018 T666, PAS Database number NMS-FCD6CD.

The above gold and garnet mount is almost identical to a pair found amongst the Staffordshire Hoard, cat. nos. 576 and 577.

Although the purpose of such pyramidal mounts is uncertain it has been convincingly suggested that they served to secure swords in their scabbards, with the use of a strap passing through the base of the mount. It is notable that when found as part of grave finds pyramidal mounts are associated with swords. For a detailed discussion on the types and function of pyramidal mounts see P. Mortimer, The riddle of the pyramids: an attempt at unravelling their meaning, a typology and comments on chronology (academia.edu/41749964).

Additional information

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