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Description: | An incomplete cast copper alloy book clasp of Post-Medieval, sixteenth or seventeenth century date (AD 1500 - AD 1700). Length 39.2mm, width 19.0mm and 1.6mm thick. Weight 6.19g. The clasp has been formed from a single plate of copper alloy which is sub-rectangular in plan with almost parallel sides. At one end there is a centrally placed integral hook which is turned downwards and is rectangular in plan when viewed from above. This hook would have fitted into another metal fitting with a slot in it, on the reverse of the book. The other end of the plate flares slightly but is incomplete due to an old transverse break. The plate has a slightly off-centre rivet hole around which are two concentric rings forming a ring-and-dot motif. The rivet hole has a diameter of 1.6mm and the outer ring has a diameter of 8.0mm.Close to the end with the old break, at the centre, is another rivet hole also with a diameter of 1.6mm. The rivets (both missing) would have attached the clasp to a leather or fabric strap. At each side of this rivet hole there is a ring-dot-motif. One motif is larger than the other and they over-lap slightly. The larger has an outer diameter of 10.0mm and the diameter of the other is about 7.5mm. All three ring-and-dot motifs appear to have been stamped. Close to the hook the plate is further decorated with two parallel transverse lines which are about 4.0mm apart. The front face of the plate is corroded and pitted and it is possible that further decoration may have originally existed but is now obscured due to corrosion. The rear face of the plate is also corroded and pitted. At the rear, around the off-centre rivet hole, is a relatively large deposit of iron corrosion. There is no iron deposit or staining around the other rivet hole.The object is corroded overall and in poor condition. However a patchy mid-green patina has survived on both faces.
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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