Object Description
A tinned bronze finial in form of a stylised bird’s head, dating to the Dark Ages. The piece is composed of an octagonal tubular body, which would have held a shaft, and a hooked protrusion to the top, resembling a beak. Slightly constricted at the shaft-hole, the beak presents a rectangular lug to either side, possibly served as lateral guides for a strap. Aligned rows of incised ring-and-dot motifs decorate the entirety of the surface.
Date: Circa 6th-7th century AD