https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/templates/general_wide/img/logo.png https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/pins.html https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/pins/hair-or-dress-pin-59133.html Fri, 30 Jan 2026 21:31:09 GMT Pins  

Description:		An incomplete copper-alloy hair or dress pin. The pin has a plain spherical head with a small collar below. The surviving part of the shaft is of circular cross-section and parallel; the lower part with pointed end is missing. The recorder notes that the pin was found on an Anglo-Saxon occupation site that has produced sceattas and other pins.
Category:		Early Medieval, Pins
Category:		Pins

]]> https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/pins/hair-or-dress-pin-58927.html Mon, 13 Oct 2025 15:24:29 GMT Pins  

Description:		A complete hair or dress pin of the Anglo-Saxon period. The pin has a polyhedral head with ring and dot decoration on each face; the stem is circular in cross-section, and it tapers to a point in the lower region.
Category:		Early Medieval, Pins
Category:		Pins

]]> https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/pins/zoomorphic-pin-58538.html Wed, 26 Mar 2025 11:39:57 GMT Pins  

Description:		An incomplete cast copper-alloy pin of the Middle Anglo-Saxon period. The surviving part of the pin consists of the pinhead and a short length of the shaft. The pinhead is flat, with one side moulded to represent the two-dimensional right-facing profile of a fantastic animal. The other side is now largely obscured by corrosion, but does not appear to be moulded to represent the animal's opposite profile, as some similar pins are. The animal has a head with a protruding triangular ear and a small circular recess for an eye. The body is contorted such that its limbs, and what appears to be its tail, conform to the generally sub-oval shape of the pinhead. There is a second small circular recess at what is possibly the bulbous tip of the recurved tail. Both this recess, and the similar one representing the eye, were possibly set with glass beads that have subsequently been lost. The recorder notes that traces of gilt are present on the surface. The surviving length of the shaft is straight and of plain circular cross-section. See also PAS: WMID-1E3407 and RAH1481.
Category:		Early Medieval, Pins
Category:		Pins

]]> https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/pins/pin-58282.html Tue, 08 Oct 2024 13:28:09 GMT Pins  

Description:		An incomplete hair or dress pin of the Anglo-Saxon period. The pin has a flattened polyhedral head with a decorative ring-and-dot motif on both the front and rear faces. The shaft is of irregular sub-oval cross-section and has a small collar immediately below the head. It has broken along its length and the pointed end is missing.
Category:		Early Medieval, Pins
Category:		Pins

]]> https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/pins/disc-headed-pin-58174.html Mon, 26 Aug 2024 17:10:09 GMT Pins  

Description:		An incomplete Anglo-Saxon disc-headed pin, likely from a linked set of three. The head is sub-circular and flat, and pierced on one side only for attachment to the centre pin of the set. Both the front and back are decorated with two concentric grooves around a central piercing, the front being further embellished with multiple punched dots around the head's periphery and a cross to the centre. A short portion of the pin shaft remains. As similar, see also; UKDFD 27660, UKDFD 51759 & GLO-6F0C75
Category:		Early Medieval, Pins
Category:		Pins

]]> https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/pins/pin-57992.html Thu, 09 May 2024 12:15:20 GMT Pins  

Description:		The very large and elaborately decorated head of a pin. The head is of hollow, composite construction, fabricated from multiple cast or die-formed copper-alloy parts soldered together. The major elements are a barrel-shaped body, five domes and a tapered neck-collar. Four of the domes are equally spaced around the lateral circumference of the body, and one is located at its apex. The neck-collar is fitted centrally on the underside. All the above elements are decorated with beading and filigree-wire scrollwork. There are also eight collets for paste gems between the domes, three of which retain blue/green glass stones. The head is gilded overall, and most of the finish remains intact. Only a very short length of the iron shaft survives, the broken end visible at the base of the neck-collar. The dating of ball-headed pins of comparable construction and decorative treatment to the present object is discussed in a 1995 article by Sue Margeson (see Description below). The 'typological puzzle' in the title of the article refers to the fact that some ball-headed pins of similar decorative style and construction are known to date to the late Tudor period, while others appear, on the basis of particular features, to belong to the Early Medieval period. The suggested criteria for Early Medieval dating are the presence, either alone or in any combination, of (a) filigree spiral motifs, (b) glass-bead gems and (c) a neck-collar, all of which apply to the present pin. It should be noted, however, that this dating remains conjectural. No close parallel for the present pin has been traced, but for smaller, less elaborate pins with similar decorative features, see PAS: BM-8D43E1, NMS-7FA81D and UKDFD 26406.
Category:		Early Medieval, Pins
Category:		Pins

]]> https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/pins/linked-disc-headed-pin-57990.html Thu, 09 May 2024 11:44:35 GMT Pins  

Description:		A high status and very ornate disc-headed pin dating to the middle Anglo-Saxon period. Decoration to the face is chip carved and floral in style, with four scrolled and voided 'peltas' arranged diagonally and symmetrically to form an openwork cross. The arms of each cross have been finely carved with plant leaf each side of a central stem, each stem terminating in a double curlicue except for the base, which terminates in a five petalled flower motif. At the centre of the cross is a separately riveted circular boss, this having four small circular indentations that possibly once held coloured glass or other mineral insets. The formed pin head is lozenge-shaped overall, and has two small holes purposefully cast as part of the design to each side. At the base of the head is a short circular-sectioned length of the missing pin shaft. Much of the surface gilt finish survives, and the back appears to have been tinned or silvered. The pin is part of a decorative linked dress pin set. The above being the central pin of three, linking all pin heads together via a fine chain or similar. An elaborate complete example from Lincolnshire is held at the British Museum. The naturalistic artform displayed on this artefact represents a period of cultural and spiritual change in Anglo-Saxon Britain, and is likely influenced by European Frankish styles evolving within the Carolingian Empire (UKDFD 54687). This seemingly influencing slightly later British Anglo-Saxon styles from the 10th century, such as UKDFD 56451. The decorative curlicues on the above pin head can also be noted on fittings such as UKDFD 44032 & UKDFD 57128. Note also NLM-F84DD5 as an associated artefact of interest.
Category:		Early Medieval, Pins
Category:		Pins

]]> https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/pins/pin-57326.html Sat, 15 Apr 2023 16:08:58 GMT Pins  

Description:		A decorative pin dating from the the middle to late Anglo-Saxon period. The head is sub-spherical, with four pointed and equally spaced projecting knops around the circumferential periphery, and a flat circular boss to the top. Below the head is a ribbed collar and a four sided pyramidal base. Projecting from the base of the head is an incomplete sub-circular sectioned shaft. Only two similar pins have been found to date for comparison, which additionally display a once gilt finish; IOW-1E4BC6 & SWYOR-DE426. It is presently uncertain as to the specific employment for classification.
Category:		Early Medieval, Pins
Category:		Pins

]]> https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/pins/pin-56874.html Tue, 12 Jul 2022 19:54:40 GMT Pins  

Description:		An incomplete copper-alloy pin of the Anglo-Saxon period. The pin has a flattened polyhedral head with a ring-and-dot motif on each of the four main lateral faces. The shaft is of irregular sub-oval cross-section and has a small collar immediately below the head. It has broken approximately mid-way along its length and the pointed end is missing.
Category:		Early Medieval, Pins
Category:		Pins

]]> https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/early-medieval/pins/hair-or-dress-pin-56822.html Mon, 09 May 2022 12:09:33 GMT Pins  

Description:		An incomplete copper-alloy hair or dress pin. The head is pear-shaped with an understated collar at the junction with the tapered shaft.  Dating pins of this type is problematic, with similar examples apparently spanning the Roman and Anglo-Saxon periods.
Category:		Early Medieval, Pins
Category:		Pins

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