BRITAIN, ANGLO-SAXON, 6TH/7TH CENTURY | Rare Disc Pendant

By repute found on the beach near Minster Abbey, Isle of Sheppey, Kent
Christie's, London, Antiquities, 12 December 1990, lot 148

Overall the condition of the pendant is good, with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is a loss to one of the 'beads' on one of the mound-like ornaments, and another bead within the second-tier circle is pierced. There is also a lacuna at the centre, which may be original. There is minor warping to the gold, and there is some very slight discolouring in areas.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This fine Anglo-Saxon disc pendant is typical of its type and finds a comparison in the gold pendant in the National Museums, Liverpool (World Museum, Joseph Mayer bequest, inv. no. M6231). Found in the same grave as the celebrated Kingston Brooch (M6226), the Liverpool pendant is similarly formed of a sheet of gold, punched through at the centre and articulated with smaller punched annulets. Such pendants were sometimes enamelled or set with garnets, such as the example sold in these rooms on 10 December 1996, lot 96. RELATED LITERATURE
L. Webster and J. Blackhouse (eds.), The Making of England: Anglo-Saxon Art and Culture AD 600-900, exh. cat. British Museum, London, 1991, pp. 51-52, no. 33b