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Description: | Small hollow book-clasp made from gilded copper alloy. The attachment end is nearly rectangular, with one long side flaring a little; it is closed by a single copper-alloy rivet. On the front the attachment end is decorated with an engraved border, with a central cross dividing it into four squares each with a dot near the angle of the cross. The centre of the cross also has a dot. The long edges are bevelled and near each corner the bevel has a pair of transverse grooves. Beyond this rectangular end is a hollow quatrefoil with a slightly oval (2.5 x 3 mm) peg-hole in the underside. Each foil is decorated with a bird's foot motif resembling a broad arrow with the central stem extended beyond the point. Beyond the quatrefoil is a triangular terminal with concave sides which could be a stylised animal head. The tip of this rises to form a rounded snout, and is transversely pierced to hold a separate copper-alloy ring. The very sharp angle between the sides and reverse of the clasp may indicate that the front and sides were cast in one piece, and that the reverse was made from a separate sheet then soldered in place. The clasp would have been attached to the end of a strap on one cover of the book, and the hole in the underside would have fitted over a peg fixed to the other cover. The loop at the end may have held a cord making it easier to pull the clasp on and off the peg. This type of book clasp dates to the second half of the 14th century.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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