File:Medieval pendant (FindID 564080).jpg

An inscribed Medieval silver pendant set with a re-used Roman intaglio of dark orange cornelian. The pendant is oval with a broken suspension loop projecting from the upper edge and an oval opening at the front into which the intaglio is set.

The silver part of the pendant is formed in three pieces soldered together. The three components consist of thin silver sheet plain oval back-plate, with a tapered rectangular lug projecting from one end which forms the suspension loop when curved around to meet the front-plate, where a trace of solder at the point of the break is still notable. The front plate, which is inscribed, is also comprised of thin sheet silver and has an oval opening at the centre framed by a raised ridge. Between the front and backplates there is an oval spacer which, sandwiched between the front and back plates creates the recess for the intaglio. This spacer also carries an inscription around the sides.

The inscription around the front of the pendant reads:

+ERIGERARI . AGLA . OZA

The inscription, which was probably intended to be amuletic or magical to protect the wearer cannot be deciphered in full but a few comments can be made on certain sections of it.

"AGLA" was a popular amuletic charm in the Middle Ages. It signifies "ATHE GEBIR LEILAN ADONI" "(Thou Art Mighty For Ever, Oh Lord"). This charm was said to be invoked to prevent fever.

"ERI GERARI" is noted as a charm against 'falling sickness' (probably epilepsy but also intoxication) with the main source for the invocation of this charm being a 14th Century copy of Manuscript of Theophilus where it is noted on the last leaf.

The remainder of the inscription remains undeciphered.

The inscription around the side of the pendant, is more difficult to decipher due to unusual characters, some possibly astrological symbols but approximately reads the following:

+O(barred)NIAHAJ + H(symbol)NA(symbol)OZA

The first letter on the edge of the pendant, O (barred), is probably an omega, possibly combined with an alpha (the bar), the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Alpha and omega are traditionally used as a sacred monogram to refer to God. The words or letters are found on medieval jewellery incorporated into religious or magical formulae or phrases, as here, intended to act as a protection or charm against misfortune or ill-health.

For a discussion of this type of inscription, their likely interpretations & other examples of jewellery bearing this type of inscription see Evans, Joan, 'Magical Jewels of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance Particularly in England 1922', published 2004. See also: Dalton, O. M., 'Catalogue of the finger rings, early Christian, Byzantine, Teutonic, Mediaeval and later bequeathed by Sir Augustus Wollaston Franks, in which are included the other rings of the same periods in the museum', British Museum, published 1912.

The Roman intaglio, which is damaged and incomplete, depicts Bonus Eventus ['Success,Good Fortune'], nude, standing frontally, holding a patera in one hand and almost certainly ears of corn in the other. This is a common subject on intaglios. See. Henig, M. 'A Corpus of Roman Engraved Gemstones from British Sites' (BAR 8, 3rd edn 2007), especially numbers 203-219; see also John, C., 'The Snettisham Roman Jeweller's Hoard' (BM, 1997) numbers 113-133. The gem is datable to the 2nd century, AD. 100-200.

The pendant overall is dated from the 13th to early 14th Centuries (AD c.1200-1350).

Dimensions: Length: 28.5 mm, Width: 17.9mm, Thickness: 3.9 mm, Weight: 3.9 g; the intaglio alone measures Length: 14.3mm and Width: 10.2mm.