Day 174, of my 2016 sketch a day challenge

Sutton Hoo Whetstone Sceptre

Having lived in Suffolk all my life I thought I ought to visit Sutton Hoo near Woodbridge. Sutton Hoo is the site of great importance with Anglo Saxon burial mounds from the 6th and 7th centuries. One of the mounds contained an undisturbed ship burial including great wealth of Anglo Saxon artifacts an impressive discovery. However the site is also important for the cemetery of numerous burial mounds that overlook the important River Deben and the North Sea. Today was quite dull so where I had plannedĀ  to draw the mounds they were today without the sun appearing a little flat in the landscape so instead I drew from within the museum. In the museum are many reproduction replicas of some of the artifacts, the one I have chosen is a Whetstone Sceptre. Whilst whetstones were used to sharpen knives or swords this one hints towards it being an emblem of power with a finely carved Stag with antlers.

Sutton Hoo whetstone