Object number
51/98
Collection
Exhibition
Description
This face piece is part of the decoration on a horse harness and would be hung on the front of the bridle between the blinkers. It is made of leather with scalloped edges and a crescent shaped brass is mounted on the front. It was used by the head carter on a farm at Elkstone, Gloucestershire.
Physical description
1 face piece: leather; metal (brass); good condition
Archival history
Citation in publication [H. J. Massingham, 'Country Relics' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1939)] –'When the door of my Hermitage is opened, the eye is at once caught by the gleam of brass against bright leather. These are bells and brasses that once gave music to mile after mile of birdless winter lanes...//My set of waggon-team head-bells belonged to [the donor], the head-carter of a farm at Elkstone...[page break]...whilst the face piece with its single brass was set up on the mullen by a daughter of [the donor]....One of the oldest of the numerous brass devices...was the crescent, and this I have' (pp. 79, 81) [see also pp. 81-82], MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, circa 1951] - 'Museum of English Rural Life // Equipment to be loaned to the Cotswold Tradition Exhibition // Cat Ref. No.: // [tick] 51/98 M // Harness Face-Piece [Cleaned] [tick] ...', MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, circa 1951] - '[insert] MASSINGHAM FILE [end insert] // THE COTSWOLD TRADITION // AN EXHIBITION AT CIRENCESTER PARK // MAY-SEPTEMBER 1951 ... // RECEIPT. // Received with gratitude the following articles, collected from Reading University on the 29th April, 1951: // ... Face Piece. ... // Loaned by The Massingham Collection.', MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, October 1989] – 'ACC. NO.: 51/98 // NAME: FACE PIECE // NEG NO.: 35/57 // STORAGE: '
Object name
Material
Associated subject
External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\35 series negatives\Scans\35_57.tif - High resolution image