Sutton Hoo Purse Lid

Its gold and garnet panels include confronting animals, a heroic figure between beasts, and a warrior flanked by wolves. These carefully balanced images combine animal ornament with human scenes of power and protection.

The organic pouch itself had decayed in the acidic soil, but its elaborate metal fittings survived. Gold coins and other pieces associated with the purse helped archaeologists reconstruct its original purpose.

The owner is not identified by an inscription, but the lavish ship burial is often associated with Raedwald, an early 7th-century king of East Anglia. That identification remains an informed interpretation rather than a proven fact.

The original is held by the British Museum in London as part of its Sutton Hoo collection. The burial was excavated in Suffolk in 1939 after landowner Edith Pretty invited archaeologist Basil Brown to investigate the mounds.