• Date of discovery: 2024-10-19
• Aproximate location of discovery: Neerlanden, Vlaanderen
• Context: Fragments of terra sigillata, tegulae, imbrex

The medieval harness pendant hanger is a finely crafted, gilded copper alloy artifact, likely dating from the 13th to 14th century. This small, ornate piece, exhibiting a greenish patina with traces of gilding, served as a decorative attachment for a knight’s horse harness. Typically, such hangers suspended heraldic pendants, showcasing the rider’s lineage, allegiance, or status through intricate designs, often featuring enamel or engraved motifs. The hanger’s design, with its rivet holes and hinged structure, allowed it to be securely fastened to the peytrel (a strap around the horse’s chest) or bridle, ensuring the pendant dangled prominently during tournaments, battles, or processions.
Knights and nobility, particularly those of significant standing used these hangers to display their coats of arms, reflecting their heritage and martial pride. At their peak in the medieval period, these items were both functional and symbolic, fading in use as heraldry grew more complex with quartering.