Claw Beaker C 4-7th Century.
Green glass with double row of pincered decorated claws. Fine tread decoration to neck. Approx. 40cl capacity.
The original was Frankish, late 5th century AD. From Castle Eden, Co. Durham, England.
Claw beakers are so called because of the applied 'claws' of glass which are attached to the thin glass body of the beaker.

Because of its fragility, glass must have been one of the most luxurious possessions in the early Anglo-Saxon period. This claw beaker was made in the late fifth century and imported from one of the Frankish glass-making factories. It is the only one of this type to have been found in England. It must have been a treasured possession as it was in pristine condition when it was buried - it was the only object found accompanying a skeleton