Anglo-Saxon silver gilt hooked tag, incomplete. A triangular plate with scalloped upper edge, one corner missing, the other with a rivet hole. The outer edges of the plate have incised beads with a plain inner border. Inside this a deep band edged with

Anglo-Saxon silver gilt hooked tag, incomplete. A triangular plate with scalloped upper edge, one corner missing, the other with a rivet hole. The outer edges of the plate have incised beads with a plain inner border. Inside this a deep band edged with large incised triangles frames a gilded palmette in the central field. At the apex is a worn but finely detailed animal mask with gilded comma-shaped eyes and a gaping mouth from which the hook, broken off at the tip, protrudes like a tongue. The back is plain. Found at Barton Farm, Abbotts Barton, Headbourne Worthy, Hampshire. 10th century date.

Silver-gilt hooked tag

Anglo-Saxon, 10th century AD

Found by a metal detectorist at Headbourne Worthy, Hampshire in 2000

Looking closely at this object you will see a gilded stylized palm leaf, or palmette in its central triangular field. There is also an animal mask at its apex, with gilded comma-shaped eyes and a gaping mouth from which the hook, broken off at the tip, protrudes like a tongue. Two similar silver tags excavated in Winchester were found at the knees of a skeleton, suggesting they were sewn on to the ends of garter ribbons.

Anglo-Saxon silver gilt hooked tag, incomplete. A triangular plate with scalloped upper edge, one corner missing, the other with a rivet hole. The outer edges of the plate have incised beads with a plain inner border. Inside this a deep band edged with