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Actions	Medieval harness pendant Remove from selection Add to selection Object number2023.003.002 TitleMedieval harness pendant Description A copper alloy and enamel heraldic harness pendant, 13th or 14th century in date. A suspension lug is integrally cast and transversely positioned mid-way along the upper edge. One face bears heraldic decoration which can be blazoned as follows: Azure, a bend cotised between six lions rampant (A blue background, with a diagonal band flanked by two smaller bands between six lions rampant). The reverse is plain although bears considerable signs of corrosion.These are the arms of the de Bohun earls of Hereford, Essex, and later Northampton. Humphrey de Bohun IV (2nd earl of Hereford and 1st earl of Essex) is the first to show a bend cotised, around 1253, and this appears to be standard for the subsequent earls. From the mid-13th century to the end of the 14th, the arms can be blazoned as follows: Azure, a bend Argent cotised Or, between six lions rampant of the third (A blue background, with a silver diagonal band flanked by two smaller gold bands between six gold lions rampant).Under microscopic examination there is no sign of gilding or silvering/tinning on the heraldic charges. This may be due to the amount of soil compacted in these areas; future conservation of the object might reveal applied metals. The de Bohun arms were heritable; it is therefore not possible to link the harness pendant to a particular individual. It is unclear whether heraldic harness pendants were displayed only by the armiger and family members, or whether they were used by a much wider section of society. Several prominent de Bohuns had a presence in Scotland during the late 13th and first half of the 14th centuries. For example, Humphrey de Bohun, 3rd Earl of Hereford, and Henry de Bohun are both present on the Falkirk Roll. Harness pendants bearing the de Bohun arms are relatively common finds elsewhere in Britain. Fifty examples have been recorded on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database but, at time of writing, this is only the second example recorded by the Treasure Trove Unit to the author’s knowledge. The first (TT 112/19) was found in the Highland local authority area. The find-spot of this example lies in Aberdeenshire, in proximity to Balravie Castle and Mountblairy Chapel. Object nameharness pendant Materialcopper alloy Dimensions length: 38.90 mm width: 22.80 mm weight: 7.56 mm

Object number2023.003.002

TitleMedieval harness pendant

Description A copper alloy and enamel heraldic harness pendant, 13th or 14th century in date. A suspension lug is integrally cast and transversely positioned mid-way along the upper edge. One face bears heraldic decoration which can be blazoned as follows: Azure, a bend cotised between six lions rampant (A blue background, with a diagonal band flanked by two smaller bands between six lions rampant). The reverse is plain although bears considerable signs of corrosion.These are the arms of the de Bohun earls of Hereford, Essex, and later Northampton. Humphrey de Bohun IV (2nd earl of Hereford and 1st earl of Essex) is the first to show a bend cotised, around 1253, and this appears to be standard for the subsequent earls. From the mid-13th century to the end of the 14th, the arms can be blazoned as follows: Azure, a bend Argent cotised Or, between six lions rampant of the third (A blue background, with a silver diagonal band flanked by two smaller gold bands between six gold lions rampant).Under microscopic examination there is no sign of gilding or silvering/tinning on the heraldic charges. This may be due to the amount of soil compacted in these areas; future conservation of the object might reveal applied metals. The de Bohun arms were heritable; it is therefore not possible to link the harness pendant to a particular individual. It is unclear whether heraldic harness pendants were displayed only by the armiger and family members, or whether they were used by a much wider section of society. Several prominent de Bohuns had a presence in Scotland during the late 13th and first half of the 14th centuries. For example, Humphrey de Bohun, 3rd Earl of Hereford, and Henry de Bohun are both present on the Falkirk Roll. Harness pendants bearing the de Bohun arms are relatively common finds elsewhere in Britain. Fifty examples have been recorded on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database but, at time of writing, this is only the second example recorded by the Treasure Trove Unit to the author’s knowledge. The first (TT 112/19) was found in the Highland local authority area. The find-spot of this example lies in Aberdeenshire, in proximity to Balravie Castle and Mountblairy Chapel.

Object nameharness pendant

Materialcopper alloy

Dimensions

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