Later 6th-7th century AD. A silver-gilt chip-carved sword fitting or mount composed of a cruciform body with rounded arms bearing outward-facing stylised beast heads in relief, the creatures with large eyes, furrowed brows and flared nostrils, raised square central plaque ornamented with almond forms to each corner, inner border and raised square central cell set with garnet cloison; attachment bar to reverse. See Franceschi, G., Jorn, A. & Magnus, B., Mennesker, Guder og Masker i Nordisk Jernalderkunst, vol.1, Borgen, 2005; see Hammond, B., British Artefacts vol.1 - Early Anglo-Saxon, Witham, 2009; see Menghin, W., Das Schwert im Frühen Mittelalter, Stuttgart, 1983; see Pollington, S., Kerr, L. & Hammond, B., Wayland's Work: Anglo-Saxon Art, Myth & Material Culture from the 4th to 7th century, Ely, 2010; see Mortimer, P., Woden's Warriors. Warriors and Warfare in 6th-7th Century Northern Europe, Ely, 2011. 16.30 grams, 44mm (1 3/4"). Property of a London gallery; previously in a private UK collection; formerly acquired in Germany before 2000; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.10951-178876. Sword pyramids were once a very rare class of find, discovered only in very high-status burials such as Niederstotzingen (Germany), Sutton Hoo Mound 1 (Suffolk, England) and the Broomfield barrow (Essex, England"). Since the 1980s, a quantity of such finds have come to light and the object-class is now better understood. They are found predominantly in England, the Rhineland, central Europe and southern Scandinavia, and were a short-lived display item. The classic form is a truncated hollow gold (or silver, or bronze) pyramid with a bar to the reverse, inset garnet and glass plaques to the four faces and top (Pollington et al., fig.8.52 and plates 19, 54, 55; Hammond, p.73-4; Menghin, map 22"). Several variant forms do exist, such as the octagonal-base and the conical types (Hammond, 2009, item 1.4.2.2-f; Mortimer, 2011, p.117"). Another common Continental variant includes a flat-section rectangular plaque, as well as a form with curved edges to the plaque (Menghin, map 23"). The present example with four beast-heads is apparently unique, although it has parallels in later harness and other mounts. The beast-heads have close parallels on the headplate of a 6th century AD silver bow-brooch from Stora Gairvide, Gotland (Franceschi et al., item 75) and on the footplate of another from a burial mound at Sandal, Norway (Franceschi et al., item 66"). The exact purpose of the pyramids is not known, but when they occur in graves they are usually placed in pairs high on the sword's scabbard (Menghin, p.150 and fig.90) which suggests that they were used in the suspension of the scabbard from its belt, or more evocatively in the fastening of textile 'peace-bands' which secured the sword in its scabbard and provided a very visible demonstration that the owner did not intend to draw it in haste (Mortimer, p.116"). Condition Report Fine condition.