How many shoulder clasps were found in Sutton Hoo?

How many shoulder clasps were found in Sutton Hoo?

Clockwise from upper left: The purse-lid, Great Buckle, ornate gold belt and the two identical shoulder-clasps from the treasure.

What were shoulder clasps?

They are similar in style to those used in older Roman forms of military dress, and were attached to a thick or padded garment using loops at the back. Made in 2 halves, each clasp is decorated with cells inlaid with garnets and patterned millefiori glass.

What does the ship from Sutton Hoo tell us about England in the time it was buried?

The Sutton Hoo ship burial provides remarkable insights into early Anglo-Saxon England. It also shows that the world of great halls, glittering treasures and formidable warriors described in Anglo-Saxon poetry was not a myth. Mrs Edith Pretty donated the finds to the British Museum in 1939.

What were Anglo-Saxon buckles used for?

In early Anglo-Saxon England, buckles used to fasten waist belts were a means of expressing a man’s wealth and status. The type of metal used and the fineness of decoration were key factors. This spectacular gold buckle from the Sutton Hoo ship burial shows that the person commemorated there was of great importance.

Where was the hinged clasp from Sutton Hoo found?

This shoulder clasp was found at the Sutton Hoo burial site near Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. It is an Early Anglo-Saxon creation composed of gold, millefiori glass and garnet, with the glass and garnet forming the bulk of the design.

What is the Sutton Hoo purse cover made of?

The lid was made to cover a leather pouch containing gold coins. It hung by three hinged straps from the waist belt, and was fastened by a gold buckle. The lid had totally decayed but was probably made of whalebone – a precious material in early Anglo-Saxon England.

When was the Sutton Hoo belt buckle found?

The beasts belong to a phase of animal art that was fashionable in England when the Sutton Hoo burial took place, in the early 7th century….Sutton Hoo gold belt buckle.

Full title: Sutton Hoo gold belt buckle
Copyright: Trustees of the British Museum
Held by The British Museum
Shelfmark: British Museum, BEP 1939,1010.1

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