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Description: | A Post Medieval book clasp formed from two sheets of copper alloy riveted together. The front plate is roughly rectangular in shape, but flares out broadly at the attachment end. The attachment edge is notched and below this the front plate is decorated with finely incised lines, arranged in arrows. Three adjacent holes are arranged around 1cm below the attachment edge. In the centre of the front plate is a further hole surrounded by two concentric circles. The base of the plate, at the terminal end, culminates in a wider rectangular band, 17.6mm wide, followed by an integral hook formed from a small strip of metal 8.2mm wide. The hook appears to be complete and would have originally hooked on to a bar on the other half of the fitting, which was attached to the reverse side of the book. The back plate consists of another rectangular strip of metal with a slightly flared end, 21.4mm by 40.9mm. This is attached to the front plate originally with three rivets, one near to the terminal end and two near to the attachment end. The rivet near the terminal is in situ, flush to the front plate and hammered out at the back. At the terminal the plates are close together then the back plate bends out and straightens to hold the thick strapThe metal is greenish-brown in colour with patches of brighter green erosion, particularly on the back plate. Similar clasps may be seen in Margeson's 'Norwich Households', pp.74-5, no's:453 and 454. These Margeson suggests both date to the second half of the 16th century, based upon evidence from a book with a similar clasp that we know dates to this period. Length: 52.3mm, width: 34.7mm, thickness: 4.9mm (front plate 0.6mm, back 0.3mm), Weight: 7.80g
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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