East Riding Museums

An incomplete silver strap end of Early-Medieval date, c.AD 800-900. Found by metal detecting on 15th september 2019. The strap end is of Thomas' Class A, Type 1 with Trewhiddle style decoration. Only the upper plate remains and a transverse fracture is present close to the Zoomorphic terminal. The strap end is sub-ovate with a zoomorphic terminal at the closed end and a rounded attachment end.The zoomorphic terminal is in the form of a forward facing animal head with moulded features including sub-triangular ears with central notched chevron detail, roundel eyes, and a snub-nosed snout. The central panel bears two intertwined angular serpentime Trewhiddle style beasts in relief against a recessed sub-rectangular field. The beasts are intertwined at the neck, mid-way along their bodies and at their rear-legs. Spaces in the field between the beasts bear relief triquetra designs. Two small areas of niello remain in the recessed portion of the field. The attachment end retains a circular rivet hole to one side and a partial rivet hole to the other where a corner is lost to an old worn break. An incised fan-like trilobite palmette design is present between the two perforations. The reverse of the strap end is flat and undecorated.