Medieval bird harness mount

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figgis
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When this lovely little thing first popped up I thought (and hoped) it was a Roman duck brooch. Trouble is, the underside doesn't seem to match up with the brooch theory and now I suspect it's more likely to be a mount of some description. The "legs"(which are bent in such a way as to resemble Morecombe & Wise doing that dopey dance of theirs) aren't suited to contain a spring mechanism and there's no residue of a catchplate.

Not that it means a lot, but the patination is typical for that field with regards most Roman finds. Against that is the fact that it's in far better nick than Roman stuff invariably comes out like.

Basically, I'm stumped and would appreciate any avenues to wander down with regards an ID.

Many thanks :thumbsup:
bird side.jpg
bird top.jpg
bird front.jpg
M&W.jpg
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Pete E
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Could it be as simple as a Roman children's toy animal?
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Easylife
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Medieval harness mount. :thumbsup:
https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts ... /id/562271
IMG_20210418_164441.jpg
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Pete E
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Easylife wrote: ↑Sun Apr 18, 2021 1:10 pm Medieval harness mount. :thumbsup:
https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts ... /id/562271
Although a harness mount, I think the one Figgis found looks older than the one on the PAS database?
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figgis
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Great shout, Easy, and well worth looking into. I'd gone through a fair few pages of bird mounts on the PAS but obviously not gone far enough. Thanks, chap :D :thumbsup:
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figgis
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Pete E wrote: ↑Sun Apr 18, 2021 1:14 pm Although a harness mount, I think the one Figgis found looks older than the one on the PAS database?
Trouble is, Pete, the "legs", which are a very important diagnostic detail, are damaged. It looks likely medieval but there are also candidates in the Roman section. Gawd.
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Dave The Slave
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No idea at all but it looks old, unless it`s a metal proto of Morph ( 3rd photo ) or Pingus` Seal friend ( 1st photo ).
Interesting find, John.
Cheers, :thumbsup:
Dave.
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Pete E
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figgis wrote: ↑Sun Apr 18, 2021 1:57 pm Trouble is, Pete, the "legs", which are a very important diagnostic detail, are damaged. It looks likely medieval but there are also candidates in the Roman section. Gawd.
Quite sad we are all on the internet discussing photos of a legless old bird! :shock:
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Bors
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I think the problem with regards to this brooch as already mentioned are the Legs . The Roman Brooch would have a Pin fastener set up where as this has literally two legs making it potentially not a "Duck brooch" as far as I can make out .But! who am I to know about Roman Brooches with my abysmal record of ever finding any.
Hope it is something along those lines John but the "legs" I think suggest no .But its a mysterious and very interesting find and I doubt no one else has ever found such a thing. :thumbsup:
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figgis
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Pete E wrote: ↑Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:04 pm Quite sad we are all on the internet discussing photos of a legless old bird! :shock:
:lol:
Bors wrote: ↑Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:25 pm I think the problem with regards to this brooch as already mentioned are the Legs . The Roman Brooch would have a Pin fastener set up where as this has literally two legs making it potentially not a "Duck brooch" as far as I can make out .But! who am I to know about Roman Brooches with my abysmal record of ever finding any.
It's definitely not a brooch, Pete, and while the odds look high that it's a medieval harness mount, there are a few images of Roman figurines which also score decently with regard possibility. I've put me head in the sand and sent images to me FLO for her opinion ;) :thumbsup:
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Bors
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Fingers crossed whatever's the outcome John.🤞
I have to also admit as soon as I saw it ,my instant thoughts were "Roman Duck brooch" .
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figgis
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It's like swans, Pete - what's going on up top give one impression but it's what's happening below that tells the true story
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Bors
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Ok looking again at it ,how about ( again already mentioned) a Kids toy farmyard type duck , minus the flat stand ?
I still think from looking down on it (2nd picture down )its a bird of some sorts .The head with beaks there, the tapering neck to bodies there ,the tails there. It screams DUCK . :lol:
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figgis
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Yeah, I scream DUCK! quite a lot. Or something which sounds very much like it :lol:

I'm going GOOSE! because of the shape of the beak :thumbsup:
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Blackadder43
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Tiz a goose duck obv :lol:
Does look to have some age to it though, bit like myself at present :ugeek:
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