File:385BD8 early medieval buckle? (FindID 72727).jpg

English: Medieval copper alloy buckle, 24mm long, 16mm wide and 17mm high. The object is in the shape of a hollow animal head; it is rectangular in plan and a hollow D-shape in cross-section with a rectangular plan.

The curved upper surface is decorated with an animal head which continues down the sides, which gives the impression that the animal is eating whatever went through the middle (presumably a strap). The face has large almond-shaped eyes under a raised brow which extends down between th eyes to end in a round protruding nose. It has small rounded ears with three incised lines running down the head between these, representing fur. Each side of the object has an almond-shaped hole beneath the cheeks of the animal; as these occur on both sides, they may be functional. The object flares slightly towards the rear, both sideways and downwards, so that the aperture at the rear of the head is larger than that at the mouth.

Beneath the animal's mouth the open rectangle has a 7mm wide edge with a slight lip on its underside, which again appears functional. The whole object has a green/brown patina with corrosion, and is worn.

Similar objects, interpreted as buckles, can be seen on the PAS database at SWYOR-B57064, NMS-4A6DC4 (with plate) and ESS-407791. All have a rather later appearance than this example, and it is less clear here where the tip of the pin might have been comfortably accommodated. Dating is hard from the art-style alone, but a 12th-century date might be suggested.

This type of buckle has been studied by A. Rogerson and S. Ashley, who have christened it the 'gaping-mouth beast' buckle. It is the subject of a forthcoming article in Medieval Archaeology (2011). They consider that the head is of Romanesque appearance and so a 12th-century date is therefore likely.