The visual riddles and ambiguities of early Anglo-Saxon animal art, for example, has been seen as emphasising the protective roles of animals on dress accessories, weapons, armour and horse equipment, and its evocation of pre-Christian mythological themes. However Howard Williams and Ruth Nugent have suggested that the number of artefact categories that have animals or eyes—from pots to combs, buckets to weaponry—was to make artefacts 'see' by impressing and punching circular and lentoid shapes onto them. This symbolism of making the object seems to be more than decoration.Nugent, Ruth, and Howard Williams. "Sighted surfaces. Ocular Agency in early Anglo-Saxon cremation burials." Encountering images: materialities, perceptions, relations. Stockholm studies in archaeology 57 (2012): 187–208.
The visual riddles and ambiguities of early Anglo-Saxon animal art for example has been seen as emphasising the protective roles of animals on dress accessories weapons armour and horse equipment and its evocation of pre-Christian mythological themes However Howard Williams and Ruth Nugent have suggested that the number of artefact categories that have animals or eyes—from pots to combs buckets to weaponry—was to make artefacts 'see' by impressing and punching circular and lentoid shapes onto them This symbolism of making the object seems to be more than decorationNugent Ruth and Howard Williams "Sighted surfaces Ocular Agency in early Anglo-Saxon cremation burials" Encountering images materialities perceptions relations Stockholm studies in archaeology 57 (2012) 187–208