File:Early Medieval to Medieval strap fitting (FindID 465410).jpg

The artefact has two main components, which have been joined together. The upper element consists of an oval-sectioned bar with a rectangular frame at its outer end and, at the opposite end, where its underside is flattened, a moulded zoomorphic head above a circular-sectioned 'sleeve'. The second main component, another bar, has been threaded through this sleeve. At present, the lower bar is set in place, presumably by corrosion, but it seems likely that it would originally have been able to slide freely, allowing the fitting to be extended or shortened as circumstances dictated. The lower bar also has a rectangular frame at its outer end, of the same form as that on the upper bar. A moulded 'stop' has been fitted to the inner end of the lower bar, which would have prevented the bars from coming apart.

On the upper bar, the moulded head is of canine appearance and executed in a typical Romanesque style. The back of the head is set well above the level of the snout, from which it is separated by an angular transverse ridge. The eyes take the form of lightly incised, angled grooves; the ears consist of two small, pointed mouldings, set at the back of the head. The snout has straight, converging sides, rounded end and a wide, flat upper surface which angles upwards from the brow. The mouth is shown as slightly open, the tongue visible. The upper bar is mostly plain, the only exception to this being a band of three transverse ridges with interspersing grooves, located less than 10mm from the back of the animal's head. Both frames have vertical inner faces, faceted outer surfaces and concave bottom edges, between which both sides of each bar bear two angled grooves. The sleeve below the zoomorphic head is decorated with a series of deeply moulded vertical grooves and ridges, as is the baluster-shaped 'stop' at the inner end of the lower bar.

The artefact measures 102.6mm long, 21.1mm high, 11.7mm thick and weighs 56.3g.

No parallel could be found for this piece; however, it would seem clear from the form that it is an adjustable strap fitting, probably for a horse harness. The Romanesque animal head can be paralleled by the far more common series of swivels (cf. PAS record BH-8036D2). The suggested date range is 11th to 12th century.