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Description: | Post medieval copper alloy book clasp. This object represents the hook piece, one half of the book clasp that would have paired with a catch plate. The hook piece is subrectangular in plan, with an expanded end, now damaged, but once possibly serrated. It is bent over, but has an approximate length of 46mm, it is 10.98mm wide, 1.84mm thick and weighs 6.67g. At the non-expanded end of the object is a single, central, backward facing, integral hook in the simple form of a curl. The object is decorated with moulded parallel lines at the hook end and towards the expanded end where they are placed in a downward pointing V shape arrangement. In the valley of the V are three circular perforations, and beyond those, a further two circular perforations at the expanded end. These perforate an area of the object decorated with hatched lines. Between both sets of decorative lines the object is worn, but there may have been additional decoration here. The rivet is visible on the front and the reverse of the object. The rivet is holding a rectangular back plate that would have been attached to a leather strap. This is unusual, as these do not normally survive. The back plate and reverse of the object are plain. The over all patina of the object is dark brown with patches of brighter green corrosion. Break edges are worn smooth suggesting damage occurred in antiquity. This object probably dates to the 16th century .A similar example can be found in Margeson, 1993, Norwich Households, figure 40, number 454.
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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