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Description: | A complete post-Medieval cast copper-alloy hooked strap fitting with a free running copper-alloy ring. The fitting, possibly a mount (c. 1550-c. 1650). The main part, consisting of four integral elements, is convex at the front and flat at the rear. In plan, from the "top", it has a round-ended protrusion which accommodates a rivet hole, a trefoil-shaped plate with open work, a smaller plate to accommodate a second rivet hole and a hook forming a loop to secure the free running ring. The round-ended protrusion is 7.9mm in length and has a width of 7.2mm. It has a circular rivet hole containing the remains of an iron rivet. The trefoil-shaped plate is 13.3mm in length and has a maximum width of 15.3mm. Decorative open work in the trefoil plate is formed by two circular holes on a horizontal axis below which, and at the centre, is a lozenge-shaped hole. The circular holes each have a diameter of 3.2mm and the lozenge opening has a width of 7.2mm. Below the trefoil plate is a smaller plate, sub-rectangular in plan. A rivet hole, similar to the one mentioned above, is centrally situated and also contains the remains of an iron rivet. The hook, forming a loop that secures the ring, is 'D'-shaped in cross-section, flat at the rear. It has parallel sides and curves rearwards, upwards and the end almost makes contact with the rear face. The free running circular copper-alloy ring is flat at the front and rear and has an outer diameter of 9.4mm and an inner diameter of 6.0mm. A small projection on the outside of the ring may indicate that it is part of a larger object. Both faces of the fitting are corroded to some extent, although traces of a mid-green patina are evident on both faces. On the rear face there is iron staining that has spread from the decaying iron rivets. Length of plate: 35.3mm; width: 15.3mm; thickness: 1.9mm. Weight: 2.91g. Similar artefacts are recorded on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database. See finds from Craven Arms Parish, Shropshire and Weston Colville Parish, Cambridgeshire and Brighstone Parish, Isle of Wight: HESH-379676, CAM-BAC531 and IOW-0A0576. A similar example of this type of fitting is shown in Read 2001: 30, fig. 25, ref: 357. Read gives a 17th century date for such fittings.
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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