Copper-alloy sword pommel

Bronze sword pommel, length 3.9cm. Hollow cast, cocked-hat form: short ends each have two flat pierced lobes, by which it was riveted to guard. Long sides decorated at bottom with two chased grooves, and on one side (drawn) there are the remains of thick gilding adhering around these grooves, and slight trace of punched marks between grooves impressed into gilding. Slight marks on this face, the sort of impressions that might have been left if an inscription had been scratched through the gilding, look like RUNES. Hole in one side.The catalogue (Payne 1892a, 38 and figures) indicates that three sword pommels were asigned this catalogue number. See pommels for graves 88 and 104. This particular pommel was originally asigned to grave 91 by SCH and is incorrectly assigned to grave 91 by the Maidstone Museum records. – D.H.