Newbigging Description of stone

Event ID 1022132

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Early Medieval Carved Stones Project

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1022132

Early Medieval Carved Stones Project

Newbigging, Leslie, Aberdeenshire, Pictish symbol stone fragment

Measurements: H 0.70m, W 0.67m, D 0.18m

Stone type: red granite

Place of discovery: NJ 6055 2581

Present location: in a shelter against the north wall of the walled garden at Leith Hall (Canmore ID 17673).

Evidence for discovery: found about 1842 buried in a field and used in the building of a field wall, when part of it was broken off. It was retrieved and placed in the garden rockery at the farm later in the nineteenth century (NJ 60352575), and subsequently in the twentieth century it was taken to Leith Hall.

Present condition: almost all the edges are broken and, subsequent to 1903, a large area has flaked off, taking with it one forepaw and both hind paws, which have been recut at some period in the later twentieth century.

Description

This fragment is carved on one broad face, and a short length of the original left-hand side of the slab appears to be intact. The quality of the incised work is high and depicts a realistic wolf accompanied by a rectangle and a mirror and comb. The wolf is padding along with tail and ear at rest, facing right, with tongue visible between the jaws. The rectangle above has two comma-like motifs across the diagonal, and the mirror to the right of the wolf has a double-ball handle with a twisted grip. The comb is single-sided with an ornately shaped back and three rivets.

Date: seventh century.

References: ECMS pt 3, 177-8; Fraser 2008, no 37.

Desk-based information compiled by A Ritchie 2017.