Here Be Dragons…
This 11th/12th century cast copper alloy, D-shaped ring is part of a mechanism for a leash, the kind of thing you’d find on a dog's lead today, allowing the strap to swivel. The loop-terminals have dragon heads gripping the attachment bar in their mouths. This sort of metalwork was fashionable across Europe at the time, with swivels often featuring zoomorphic decorative designs.
Our conservators removed corrosion and soil deposits using hand tools and swabs moistened with solvents, before stabilising the metal and coating it in a protective lacquer.
