Archaeology Notes

Event ID 744457

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/744457

NX74NE 27 c. 760 467.

A perforated bronze plaque decorated with zoomorphic interlace was found in 1987 in the vicinity of the cross described on NX74NE 26. Of probable 8th to 9th century date, it is now in Dumfries Museum.

J Page 1991b.

Decorative plaque. Upper Rerrick Farm, Dundrennan, Dumfries and Galloway. Copper-alloy, gilt; height 3.5cm, width 4.2cm. Northumbrian, mid 8th century. Dumfries Museum, inventory no. 87.58.

Incomplete bronze decorative mount with cast decoration consisting of a beaded border outside a plain border on three sides, framing two interlaced animals, one biting the ribbon-like body of the other. Each animal has a pointed muzzle, an elongated eye and an ear (or lappet) which extends beneath the neck to run over the foreleg and form a triquetra; the body curves round, interlacing with its own hind limb and tail; the hip joints are indicated by a curl. There is gilding on the upper surface, and a large rivet hole. Remains of a plain outer flange indicate that this was part of a composite decorative cover of some kind and ?lead solder on the back that it has been mounted on a metal backing.

The stylised profile animals show that this plaque is in the Hiberno-Saxon 'Insular' style; they are in the tradition of the fine dog-like beasts drawn in the Lindisfarne Gospels, although details such as the ball-and-claw feet are here simplified. This is probably a piece of church metalwork from a shrine or book-cover.

L E Webster and J Backhouse 1991.