13th-15th C. Horse Harness Tournament Pendants

[Matchlock]

These tiny cast- or hammered-copper items, though in many cases highly decorated, colorfully enameled and gilt and highly remarkable regarding their heraldic details, are often dug up from the soil but, on the other hand, are hardly ever paid attention to.

They also often bear religious inscriptions, mostly abbreviations.

In most cases they are rectangular or circular in shape, but there are also longitudinal, hexa- and octagonal and drop-shaped versions, so they obviously could literally take any shape.

Common to all of them are one or several eyelets for suspension.


Of course, their function was very similar to the modern business card: to identify their owner and keep him in mind, just like the coat-of-arms on the shield. We may safely assume that they were also exchanged at tournaments, and that friends of the owner (or maybe victorious opponents ... ) may have proudly added them to the decoration of their own horses.


The first pendant in the attachments once was in my collection.



Best,
Michael