TimeLine Auctions Limited
Lot 527
7th century AD. A gilt-bronze mount depicting a facing human mask with curved horns above the crown terminating in birds' heads, and small lateral spur to one cheek; the hair, horns and spur with ribbed bands, the eyes pellets and mouth lentoid; iron deposits to the reverse. Cf. Hammond, B., British Artefacts - volume 1. Early Anglo-Saxon, Witham, 2010, item 1.4.5-r; Raynor, K., The Rempstone Mount: Anglo Saxon and Viking Horned Man Images & Artefacts, Nottingham, 2010 ; Pollington, S., Kerr, L. and Hammond, B., Wayland's Work: Anglo-Saxon Art, Myth & Material Culture from the 4th to 7th century, Ely, 2010; Pestell, T., Paganism in Early Anglo-Saxon East Anglia in Heslop, T.A., Mellings, E.A. and Thofner, M., Icon? Art and Belief in Norfolk from Prehistory to the Present, Woodbridge, 2012, figs. 6(a,b"). Recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme under reference YORYM-FAE4AF. 4.4 grams, 24mm (1"). Found in Bainton, near Beverley, East Yorkshire, UK; accompanied by a copy of the Portable Antiquities Scheme report number YORYM-FAE4AF (It is not possible for this item to be exported outside of the United Kingdom"). The headgear with bird-head terminals is restricted to the 6th-7th centuries in England, although there are parallels from the material culture of both Anglian England and southern Scandinavia at this time. A pair of comparable bird-helmetted human faces can be found on the reconstructed frontal plates on the helmet found in Mound 1 at Sutton Hoo (Suffolk) depicting dancing warriors, and the male face shown on a foil fragment recovered from the barrow at Caenby (Lincolnshire"). Similar also is the figure on one of the dies found at Torslunda (Öland, Sweden) showing a male wearing a helmet with a pair of bird-headed horns. A long, triangular male face is shown on the vandyke designs on the foil horn mounts from the barrow at Taplow (Berkshire"). A male figure wearing a helmet with horns and bird-head terminals is the central design on a long triangular buckle found in grave 95 at Finglesham (Kent), and also from Finglesham (grave 138) is a mount in the form of a long, triangular human head with vertical radiating bands from the top of the head, and two crescentic horns emerging from the crown, terminating in opposed birds’ heads which meet above. A similar mount was found at Rempstone (Nottinghamshire) and privately published in Raynor (2010) while others were found more recently at Attleborough (Norfolk) and Soberton (Hampshire, PAS ref. HAMP2432"). A mount depicting a similar figure, showing the upper body with hands gripping spears, was published in Hammond (2010"). The significance of the headgear has not been fully explored but the coincidence of the birds and the head recall the later myths of Oðinn and his bird messengers, and suggest that these mythic characters were familiar in early Anglo-Saxon England. Fine condition. Rare.
