Word into Art, £16.99
Market Rasen Sword Fittings
The display of a rare set of Anglo-Saxon sword hilt
fittings which were found near Market Rasen in
Lincolnshire.
The British Museum recently acquired a set of rare Anglo-Saxon sword hilt fittings with the assistance of the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) and the British Museum Friends.
Discovered by a metal detectorist in 2002 near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, the sword pommel and hilt fittings are an outstanding find of very high quality workmanship and are the first sword fittings of this type from Anglo-Saxon England.
The sword was presumably commissioned by a high-status individual. It may have been deposited in a grave although archaeological investigations at the findspot did not yield any evidence of a burial.
The sword fittings will be on display in North Lincolnshire before travelling to the The Collection: Art and Archaeology in Lincoln (1 December – 1 March 2009)
The Collection: Art and Archaeology in Lincoln
1 December 2008 – 1 March 2009
Image: Wide hilt collar from a set of gold sword hilt fittings, partially decorated with filigree, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire