Strap End
| Artist | |
| Name | Unknown |
| Basic Info | |
| Period | Middle Ages, Early |
| Created in | Ancient & Byzantine World, Europe |
| Century | 9th century |
| Culture | Anglo-Saxon |
| Dimensions | 4.57 x 1.85 cm (1 13/16 x 3/4 in.) |
| Harvard Museum | |
| Department | Department of Ancient and Byzantine Art & Numismatics |
| Division | Asian and Mediterranean Art |
| Contact | am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu |
Context
The fragment is in the shape of an elongated diamond ending in a heart-shaped finial; the other edge is broken. The front surface is decorated with four circles, each with a center dot, in a diamond pattern. The piece is bordered by a line of semicircles. The back is flat and featureless. This piece does not have a bifurcated top portion, as the other strap ends in this group do, and the decoration is unusual (1). Strap ends are a relatively common item in medieval northern Europe; they would have adorned the ends of leather or cloth straps, on belts and perhaps other types of equipment (2). NOTES: 1. The closest comparisons may be D. M. Wilson, Anglo-Saxon Ornamental Metalwork 700-1100 in the British Museum (London, 1964) 198-99, nos. 124-25, pl. 40. 2. Ibid. 62-63. Lisa M. Anderson
TechnicalDetails
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Purchase through the generosity of Mrs. Waltrud Lampé and the Marian H. Phinney Fund