TREASURE ANNU AL REPORT 2005/6 - Portable Antiquities Scheme

529. West Crewkerne, somerset:
medieval silver pendant cross (2006 T159)
Date: 13th–14th century
Discovery: Found by Mr M Charles while metaldetecting
in 2005.
Description: A small cast silver pendant in the shape
of a cross, with one side arm missing. The plain circular
suspension loop has a collar below it, and there is a
small round knop at the end of each of the surviving
arms, which are cylindrical. In the centre of the cross
there is a flat square section, engraved on one side with
a saltire cross and on the other with a small three by
three grid of parallel lines. This pendant is similar to one
from Farndon, Nottinghamshire (see Treasure Annual
Report 2003, no. 206), although this example is larger
and with a circular central section. Dimensions: 21.3 x
12.2mm; weight: 1.47g.
Disposition: Somerset County Museums Service.
N PAYNE
530. Aynho, Northamptonshire: 13th-century silver
pendant cross with incised motif (2006 T85)
pAs ID: NARC-C9AF40
Found by Mr M Witwicki while metal-detecting in
February 2006; disclaimed, returned to finder.
J P ROBINSON
531. Roxwell, Essex: 13th–14th-century incomplete
silver cross pendant inscribed ‘A G A L’ (Atha Gebri
Lielan Adonai / Thou art mighty forever, o Lord)
(2005 T238) pAs ID: Ess-CEC005
Found by Mr R Abbott while metal-detecting in April
2001; disclaimed, returned to finder.
C McDONALD
532. hindringham, Norfolk: 13th–14th-century
incomplete silver-gilt crucifix possibly a pendant
(2005 T573) pAs ID: Nms-35EFD8
Found by Mr S Gray while metal-detecting in October/
November 2005; disclaimed, returned to finder.
S J ASHLEY
533. Knapton, Norfolk: 15th-century silver-gilt
crucifix fragment (2005 T17) pAs ID: Nms-CC6D54
Found by Mr D Pye while metal-detecting in December
2004; disclaimed, returned to finder.
S J ASHLEY
534. mildenhall area, suffolk: medieval or early
post-medieval incomplete silver cross pendant
(2005 T549) pAs ID: sF-DCE915
Found by Mr M King while metal-detecting in
November 2005; disclaimed, returned to finder.
B NENK
(VIII) sEAL mATRICEs
535. manston, Dorset: medieval silver seal matrix
(2005 T319)
Date: 13th century
Discovery: Found by Mr G Wyatt while metal-detecting
in May 2005.
Description: A small oval seal matrix with an inset
central intaglio of orangey-red carnelian. The intaglio is
a reused Roman gem and depicts what seems likely to
be a satyr walking right. The intaglio has parallels with
one incorporated into another Medieval seal matrix,
from North Walsham, and both intaglios date to the
end of the 1st century AD (Henig & Heslop 1986, p.
306). The seal matrix is flat with a stepped profile and
at the upper end of the back is a round pierced lug.
The legend, clockwise when imprinted, reads: SIGILE.
SECRETI (secret seal). A crescent and a six-point star
mark the point at which the legend starts. Length:
17.1mm; weight: 2.87g.
Disposition: Dorset County Museum.
N PAYNE
536. swanley, Kent: medieval silver seal matrix
(2005 T75)
Date: 13th century
Discovery: Found by Mr L Mann while metal-detecting
in March 2005.
Description: A Medieval seal matrix set with a late
antique gem. The legend reads: + PONITE LITERAS
ISTAS INSIGL SILLV SECRT (Place your letter under
a secret seal). The red jasper gem is engraved with a
high quality portrait of the Roman emperor Antoninus
Pius (reigned AD 138–161). Antique gems were highly
collectable from the twelfth to the early fourteenth
century when they were often set into silver mounts to
serve as counterseals.
Discussion: This is the only known surviving gem
portrait of Antoninus Pius.
Disposition: British Museum.
J P ROBINSON & T OPPER
537. Arreton area, Isle of Wight:
medieval silver seal matrix (2006 T375)
Date: 13th–14th century
Discovery: Found by Mr P Jones while metal-detecting
in August 2006.
Description: An oval seal-matrix with an integral
suspension loop on the reverse. From an impression
of the seal, the inscription starts at 12 o’clock where
there is a cross potent and reads from right to left:
SIGILL WALTERI DE LONGEDVNE (Seal of Walter of
Longdown). The letter Ns have reversed bars. Enclosed
by the inscription is a 1st-century AD Roman, red
jasper, oval intaglio depicting Victory facing right and
standing on a globe. She is draped, winged and holding
a wreath in the right hand and a palm-branch in the
left hand. In front of her there are a crescent moon and
three stars representing eternity. The seal is in good
condition, although one side on the reverse is damaged
and slightly distorted. Length: 28.5mm; width: 23.4mm;
weight: 9.71g.
Discussion: The type of Victory on a globe seems
to derive from the statue on the Curia Iulia in Rome
dating from shortly after the Battle of Actium (Hölscher
1967) and appears on coins of this time (Hölscher
1967, Taf 1, 1 & 3). Victories on globes and stars are
part of the décor of the Temple of Sulis Minerva at Bath
(Henig 1999, esp. figs. 2 & 3) where they allude to the
Imperial cult probably in this case connected with the
Flavian dynasty and Domitian.
Although a well-educated man in the Middle Ages
would no doubt have known about the Classical
Victory, it must have been very tempting to re-interpret
the figure as an angel, perhaps Gabriel, and the stars as
the Heavens glorying in the birth of the Saviour, Christ.
This should be seen not as ignorance of the Roman past
but as subtle reinterpretation of a fine piece of early
Roman art.
Disposition: Isle of Wight Museum Service.
F BASFORD & M HENIG
538. bayston hill, shropshire:
medieval silver seal matrix (2006 T126)
Date: 13th–mid 14th century
Discovery: Found by Mr D Edwards & Mrs S Edwards
while metal-detecting in February 2006.
Description: A silver seal matrix with a centrally set,
oval, gemstone, consisting of the inscribed front-plate,
a collar positioned on the reverse face to create the
hollow setting, and a smaller back-plate with integral
suspension loop. The Latin inscription on the front
face reads: + SERVITE • DOMINO • IN TIMORE (Serve
[the] Lord in Fear). The gemstone is milky blue in
colour, identified as chalcedony, an onyx with a white
upper layer on a dark ground. The subject is a kneeling
satyr, holding two pipes (auloi), dating to the end of
the 1st century AD (Henig, personal communication).
The gemstone has sunk slightly and twisted within its
setting. Length: 25.2mm; thickness: 8.4mm; weight:
5.57g.
Discussion: A number of gem-set seal matrices are
known from both Britain and the Continent, and these
suggest a veritable trade in such high status objects,
with many, if not the vast majority, being brought in
from Italy and further afield (Henig 2000).
The inscription is taken from Psalm 2, verse 11, and
would seem to relate to the satyr, who is depicted
on bended knee, a supplicant pose. Such a reinterpretation
of a classical scene has been identified
in other re-used gemstone seals (Henig 2000).
Disposition: Shrewsbury Museums Service.
P REAVILL
539. beachamwell, Norfolk: 13th-century silver seal
matrix with lamb and flag (2005 T117)
pAs ID: Nms-D00F96
Found by Mr S Brown while metal-detecting in January
2005; disclaimed, returned to finder.
A ROGERSON
540. howden, East Riding of yorkshire: 13th–14thcentury
silver-gilt seal matrix inscribed ‘+ s I G I L
L W A L T E R I C L E R I C I’ (seal of Walter, Cleric)
(2006 T434) pAs ID: pAs-2A3EE5
Found by Mr T Stansfield while metal-detecting in July
2006; disclaimed, returned to finder.
J P ROBINSON
541. Cawood, North yorkshire: 14th-century
silver seal matrix with flower motif and inscribed
‘s’DIoNEs. CoN’ (2006 T220) pAs ID: sWyoR-
C734E5
Found by Mr A Diamond while metal-detecting in 2002;
disclaimed, returned to finder.
J P ROBINSON
128 MEDIEVAL MEDIEVAL 129