White-metal sword pommel

Silver sword pommel and upper guard, length of pommel 4.35cm. Rather squat pyramidal form of pommel, short ends slightly concave. On one broad face at base three grooves and above a runic inscription, characters taller in middle, smaller at ends. On other face along base and around edges a double line of nielloed triangles, very worn, and above this a base parallel lines with crudely cut zig-zag lines between, nielloed. Top very worn but traces of nielloed step-pattern motif. Narrow ends have raised moulding with bungled border of double row of triangles. At one end a rivet-hole drilled in centre of moulding. At this end one rivet - seating broken away. Probably the rivet hole was to secure a ring-fitting. At the other end the rivet seating in one piece (other end in two lugs), and round-headed silver rivets survive (one at other). Only one rivet at this end has its shank intact and this passes through the now decayed guard to the back of the lower guard-plate. This plate of usual type, with sloping rim to obtain wooden or horn bar. The heads of 4 small rivets which affixed pommel show, also a large dome-headed rivet which affixed ring, and the impression of the other at other end. The guard plate broken at this end. The pommel will have sat on top of a thin sheet silver reinforcing plate on top of wooden guard. Pommel filled with iron, and still attached to piece of tang. The whole thing very worn indeed, and must originally have been parcel gilt, though no trace of gilding remains.The pommel illustrated in Wright 1845a Pl. 1.3 does not show this pommel but M 6650. Guilton provenance uncertain. – B.B.