Forsbrook Pendant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Forsbrook Pendant |
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|---|---|
| Year | 7th century AD |
| Type | Pendant |
| Medium | |
| Dimensions | 36 mm diameter (1.4 in) |
| Location | British Museum |
| Owner | British Museum |
| Accession | M&LA 1879.7–14.1 |
The Forsbrook Pendant is a special piece of Anglo-Saxon jewellery. It was found in Forsbrook, Staffordshire, England. Today, you can see it at the British Museum in London.
This pendant was made in the 7th century AD. It holds an even older Roman gold coin from the 4th century. The coin is set in a frame of gold. This frame is decorated with tiny pieces of red garnet and bright blue glass.
Contents
About the Pendant
What it Looks Like
The pendant is made of gold. It has small sections, like tiny walls, that hold the colourful pieces of garnet and blue glass. This style is called "cellwork" or "cloisonné." The decorations continue around the loop at the top, where the pendant would hang. Near the loop, you can see two small, fancy serpent heads. The back of the pendant is plain gold.
Who Wore it?
Many similar Anglo-Saxon pendants have been found. These pendants often held Roman or Byzantine coins. It seems that most of these beautiful pieces were worn by women.
How it Was Made
Anglo-Saxon jewellery from the 6th and 7th centuries often used flat, cut garnets. These red gems were set into gold using the cellwork method. Sometimes, blue or green glass was also cut and used like gems. You can see examples of this at places like Sutton Hoo and in the Staffordshire Hoard.
The gold behind the thin garnet slices often had patterns. This helped to reflect more light through the garnets, making them sparkle. This technique was common in cellwork jewellery.
Scientists have studied the blue glass in these pieces. They found that the Anglo-Saxon craftworkers might have reused old Roman coloured glass. This means they were very clever and resourceful!
Discovery Story
The Forsbrook Pendant was found by a worker in Forsbrook, Staffordshire. He was maintaining a hedge when he discovered it. A "young lady" took the pendant to Isaac Whitehurst. He then offered to sell it to the British Museum.
The museum bought the pendant for £15. This happened on June 28, 1879. The museum gave it a special number: 'M&LA 1879.7–14.1'. You can also see a copy of the pendant at the Stoke-on-Trent Museum and Art Gallery. They got their copy in 1977.
Similar Pendants
The British Museum has other pendants that are much like the Forsbrook Pendant. For example, one was found near Bacton, Norfolk. It uses a coin of the Byzantine emperor Maurice. Another is the Wilton Cross from Wilton, Norfolk, which has a coin of Emperor Heraclius Constantine. These show that using old Roman coins in new jewellery was a popular idea long ago.
