A gold fitting in the form of a three-dimensional animal head. The fitting has a suspension loop protruding from its jaws and two short sockets at the back of the head representing formalized ears. The protruding eyes are inlaid with blue glass studs and encircled with filigree annulets. The brow and muzzle are decorated with scrolls of beaded filigree wire and the eyes and cheeks are emphasised by arcs of the same. The mouths and bases of the twin sockets are encircled with beaded wire and the tubes themselves decorated with strips of the same, the plain underside of the head is edged by another. The sockets are discrete elements and do not interconnect. The much plainer suspension loop is attached by a crude gold rivet which overlies original decoration and may thus be a replacement or addition.

The function of this remarkable fitting is something of a mystery although stylistically its snub-nosed animal head, blue glass eyes and filigree decoration have good parallels in a number of mid-to-late 9th century Anglo-Saxon objects. These parallels include the strap ends from Ipsden Heath, Oxfordshire and Braughing, Hertfordshire and more distantly in some of the sculptured animal heads at Deerhurst Church and the terminal on the much more elaborate Alfred Jewel.

The angled twin sockets representing the creature's ears are quite exceptional. They seem to have been intended to be functional rather than purely decorative but the fact that they do not interconnect suggests that they were intended to hold some rigid element rather than a suspension chain or braided textile. The lack of rivet holes to attach any element must have meant that whatever when into the sockets was wedged in very tightly or was firmly glued. This is odd, to say the least, and if they were intended to be purely decorative they are also without parallel. However, this playful transition of ears into sockets is matched by the dual nature of the suspension loop protruding from the jaws. Even though the present loop may be a replacement the jaws were intended to hold a loop from the outset since the loop takes the form of a lolling tongue when seen from the front.

Although to our eyes this object may seem best viewed and understood with the muzzle and "tongue" pointing downwards and the "ears" pricked upwards, as on the contemporary strap-ends, the position of the suspension loop strongly suggests that it was designed for use the other way up. What function it might have had in either orientation remains at present a puzzle.

Leslie Webster
Deputy Keeper
Department of Medieval and Modern Europe
The British Museum

Dr Niamh Whitfield adds "The treatment of the eyes is consistent with a 9th century date, as is the square-ended jaw. Also the filigree would be fine in a 9th century context. The beaded wire 'oculus motif' is also fine for a 9th-centiury date (there are some on Berkeley Castle, Gloucs. finger ring (illustrate in J Cherry et al, The Ring, cat no 95). There is also a resemblance between the prong-like 'ears' and the Bowleaze 'mount' and the Minster Lovell jewel further supporting a 9th century date."

Compare several other small socketed gold objects on the PAS database, varyingly termed pins or aestels: GLO-D79602, SWYOR-69C958, SWYOR-C75C64 and WAW-92EB56.