Sword Pommel

Silver-gilt dagger or sword pommel of a rather tall pyramidal form with concave narrow ends. The broad plain silver faces have had a single row of nielloed triangles around top and sides; one has two, the other four parallel chased grooves at base, heightened by punch-work, and gilded. Both have vertical grooves, gilded, dividing off a little tapering panel containing two vertical rows of nielloed triangles with a nielloed vertical line between them. The ungilded top is decorated in nielloed excisions with a central ring-and-dot, lines radiating in diagonal cross form, enclosed in a rectangular frame. Top much worn. The sides are gilded except for the raised mouldings which are plain silver with single lines of nielloed triangles around edge, and nielloed zig-zag down centre. At one end are three flattish rivet seatings, with a dummy central rivet and 2 functioning ones at sides (one now missing). At other end the central rivet seating is absent, and the seatings themselves champfered at edge, and the lower corners of the moulding indented deliberately by construction or by subsequent wear. This indicates that the pommel has had a ring fitting originally. Both rivets missing here. The pommel is cleanly empty, and the inside shows clearly that it has been cast.