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Description: | An incomplete and slightly misshapen post-Medieval copper-alloy book clasp (c. 1550-c. 1650 AD).The back-plate is missing. The front plate is roughly rectangular in shape. In plan, it has a flaring 'fish-tail' attachment end and a hook at the terminal end. This hook is rectangular in plan. The 'fish-tail' end is slightly curved in plan and the hook curves rearwards through 180°. About mid-way along its length and off-centre there is a small circular hole, 0.7mm in diameter. At the front this hole is counter-sunk. Close to the attachment end, also off-centre, there is an integral rivet, the end of which is burred. At the rear, between thee circular hole and the integral rivet, there is a transverse deposit of iron corrosion.16.3 x 12.3 x 2.8mm. Weight: 0.52g.This clasp is in poor condition and has no patina, There are patches of copper-alloy corrosion products on both faces and one corner of the 'fish-tail' is missing due to a break or corrosion.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.Numerous book fittings of this type are recorded on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database. For example, see finds: DENO-596D98, HESH-0FA366, IOW-111DC8; IOW-347A31, KENT-F13B17, SUSS-918036, SWYOR-1FC9B4 and WMID-2DB371.
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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