File:An incomplete Early Medieval (Anglo Saxon) gold sword pommel cap of high cocked hat form decorated with panels of beaded wire filigree, dating late 6th - early 7th century. (FindID 599068).jpg

English: Description: An incomplete early Anglo-Saxon sword pommel made from gold over a copper-alloy core. The pommel is of cocked-hat form and is decorated with panels of beaded wire filigree. One end is missing, the break is irregular and the broken edge of the copper alloy core has the same pale green patina as the rest of the visible surface. There is some dirt embedded in the rough broken surface.

The front and back panels are decorated with the same design, of an unusual central quatrefoil knot with interlace to each side. The quatrefoil is made from two interlaced elongated oval loops of wire forming a diagonal cross, with a circle of wire set in the rounded end of each loop; the upper and lower angles of the cross are enclosed by a short curve of wire. The interlace to either side is formed of loose waves combining to form a series of Stafford knots. This interlace runs right up to the quatrefoil and touches it, giving the impression that the circles may be eyes for interlacing wire bodies. The filigree is not particularly well made and on one face the design is distinctly off-centre and tilted. Similar interlace is repeated on the single surviving upper side panel.

The wires are all exceptionally worn, so that on one face the wire annulets have merged with the wires forming the quatrefoil, but appear originally to have been beaded and c. 0.5mm in diameter. All of the panels were originally surrounded by a similar narrow beaded wire, but this is now missing in many places. The lower edge of the pommel is formed from a c. 1mm thick beaded wire, still relatively unworn; the upper panel also has an outer frame of similar thick beaded wire, but this is now worn so much that it is almost unrecognisable as a separate beaded frame. The top of the pommel is undecorated.

The surviving end is separated from the rest of the pommel by another thick beaded wire. It has a single rivet hole surrounded by a cone or dome of herringbone filigree. Six twists of unbeaded wire, 0.5mm in diameter or less, are set in alternate directions to form a three-twist herringbone pattern.

The copper-alloy core is heavily corroded and no detail can be seen.

Dimensions: length: 20.85mm; width: 10.87mm; thickness: 8.44mm; weight: 4.40g.

Discussion: This pommel fits well into a group of late 6th- and 7th-century gold pommels, with examples recorded on the PAS database from near Cricklade, Wilts (2010T564, WILT-B5EE27); and from Earl Shilton, Leics (LEIC-62B043). Other well-known examples of gold filigree-decorated sword pommels include those from Market Rasen and Maxstoke (both now in the BM, 2006,1001.1 and 1996,0112.0 respectively) and Ludlow (now in Shrewsbury Museum). There are also many examples in the Staffordshire Hoard.

The quatrefoil motif is not common, but it can also be found on a damaged gold pommel cap from Ardleigh in Essex (ESS-27D367; 2004T37), and on at least one example from the Staffordshire Hoard (K554). Interlace forming a central diagonal cross can be found on others, for example one from Wellingore, Lincs (LIN-871CD5), one from Aldborough, Yorkshire (now in the East Riding Museum, ERYMS : 2000.4) and at least one from the Staffordshire Hoard (K697).

Date: Although the cocked-hat shape came into use in the 6th century, the use of filigree and interlace decoration places this pommel firmly in the 7th century AD.