Late Anglo-Saxon scourge
- Gallery: Room 41
- Culture: Late Anglo-Saxon
- Date: 9thC; 868 (deposited circa)
- Object type: scourge
- Materials: silver; glass
- Museum number: 1880,0410.4
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is a rare and intricately crafted Late Anglo-Saxon silver scourge, a unique survival from the 9th century. This whip-like object features a chain made from fine silver wire, with plaited loop connections spaced unevenly along its length. The chain ends in a large loop, from which four slender tails each terminate in a small plaited knot.
Attached to the end of this chain is a small, flat annular bead made of blue-black glass, decorated with white speckles and a single red mark. This bead was examined closely and is now confirmed to be of glass, not stone.
The scourge was once part of the historic Trewhiddle hoard found in Cornwall in 1774. Alongside many coins and valuable objects, this piece stands out as a rare example of early medieval silverwork. Its craftsmanship and design offer a glimpse into the artistic and technological skill of the Anglo-Saxon period.
See it in person
Late Anglo-Saxon scourge is on display in Room 41 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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