Copper-alloy, 8.80 grams, 44.15 mm. 9th-11th century AD. A cast openwork fragment, probably from an Anglo-Scandinavian buckle loop. The lower end of the piece comprises a beast-head finial with the rear bar of the buckle emerging from its mouth. The creature's trunk and limbs curve round to form the rest of the loop, pierced to accentuate the contours of the body. The decoration shares some features with the 11th century Viking Ringerike Style. Reference: cf. the Lincoln Museum scabbard mount in Backhouse, J., Turner, D.H. & Webster, L. The Golden Age of Anglo-Saxon Art 966-1066, London, 1984, p.111 item 106. Very fine condition. Provenance: found Norfolk, England.