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Description: | An incomplete post-Medieval copper-alloy book clasp (c. 1550-c. 1600). The fitting is formed of two sheets riveted together. The front plate is roughly rectangular in shape, but flares out at the notched 'fish-tail' attachment end. It has shallow decorative grooves throughout its length. Close to this end there are three circular counter-sunk holes arranged in a triangle. Each hole has a diameter of 1.7mm. At the terminal end there are two transverse projections, one at either side, and at the extreme end there is a narrowed incomplete hook which when complete would have curved through 180°. The hook 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 is slightly narrower and shorter than the front plate and, like the front plate, flares at the 'fish-tail' end. This is attached to the front plate with three rivets, two between the attachment and the three holes and one near to the terminal end. All three rivets are flush to the front plate and protrude slightly at the back where they are burred. The metal is drab brown in colour with patches of bright green corrosion products, particularly on the back plate. 33.9 x 13.0 x 3.1mm. Weight: 1.95g. 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.
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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