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MUSEUM WINS FIGHT TO KEEP KNIGHT A tiny bronze figure that was unearthed in the north Nottinghamshire village of Carlton-in-Lindrick two years ago has found a home nearby in Retford, Nottinghamshire. Bassetlaw Museum purchased the magnificent and extremely rare medieval figure of a knight on horseback for the sum of £34,000, thanks to a £10,000 grant from an art charity. Additional funding came from the V&A Purchase Grant Fund, the Beecroft Bequest, Bassetlaw Museum's Donation Fund and it's nice to see the Heritage Lottery Fund donating to something worthwhile instead of 'Afro-Caribbean Community Clubs' and so on. The beautiful bronze figure, which is only 5cm high, was dicovered by someone with a metal detector in Carlton-in-Lindrick who sold it to a dealer. A sale was later agreed with a buyer in the US, but Bassetlaw Museum managed to raise enough funds to keep the medieval treasure within its place of home. The Carlton Knight, as it has been named, holds a kite shaped shield in his right hand and the horse's reins in his left. David Barrie, director of the Art Fund said: "We were really struck by this exceptionally rare medieval figure, the purpose of which remains intriguingly mysterious, and we are delighter to have helped add such a precious object to Bassetlaw's collection." The knight, who has a moustache and a conical shaped helmet, dates back to the 12th century, and although this is a period when images of the knight proliferate, representations of a knight and horse in the round are very rare. The exact function of the knight is unknown, but it is likely that it was made as a decoration for a larger object, such as a candlestick or chalice cover, other suggestions have included a chess piece or a child's toy. The Carlton Knight is now on full public display at Bassetlaw Museum, for more information on opening times visit their website. 12.10.06 |