Tyninghame

Tyninghame 2 (St Baldred), East Lothian, hogback grave-cover

Measurements: L 1.04m, W 0.47m to 0.53m, surviving H 0.28m to 0.36m

Stone type: red sandstone

Place of discovery: NT 618778

Present location: National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh (IB 289)

Evidence for discovery: found around 1955 by J S Richardson in a field at Kirklandhill, acting as a trough. It was moved to the factor’s garden and donated to the museum in 1957.

Present condition: truncated and worn.

Description

The upper part of the hogback and almost one third of its original length have been trimmed away, probably for use in building the church rather than when it was re-used as a trough. The underside is hollowed out to hold water. Carved in relief, side A has a plain worn end panel, a ring-knot consisting of a ring with a bifurcating return loop rising from it, and two confronting beasts, each with a forepaw placed upon a plain disc between them. The upper part of the heads and the rear quarters of the second beast are missing, but the tail of the first beast curls up between its hind legs. On side B, the end panel is raised and contains very small tegulation. There are then four rows of chequer pattern of alternate recessed rectangles which touch a central plain disc. On the disc is the forepaw of a beast in the same way as on side A, but its rear end is missing. Its head appears to have been turned back to confront some creature on its back. The surviving end is damaged but a plain cone shape rises from a plain base.

Date range: late tenth century.

References: Stevenson 1959, 47-9; Lang 1974, 211-12, 233.

Compiled by A Ritchie 2016