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Description: | An almost complete post-medieval copper-alloy book clasp, dating from circa AD 1550-1600 AD.The fitting is formed of two cut sheet copper-alloy plates riveted together. The front plate is roughly rectangular in shape. In plan, it has a flaring 'fish-tail' attachment end. The 'fish-tail' end has four regular decorative notches. It has very fine shallow decorative linear grooves extending lengthways at the 'fish-tale' end. Close to the 'fish-tail' end, on the front plate, there are three circular counter-sunk holes arranged in a triangle. The diameter of each counter-sink is approximately 2.5 mm and the holes are approximately 1.35 mm in diameter. Beyond these three holes, towards the flared end, there are two rivet holes, both containing copper-alloy rivets.These secured the front plate to the back plate at this end, although the back plate is broken on the reverse where these two rivets would have secured it. At the terminal end there are two complete transverse projections, one at either side, and at the extreme end there is a narrowed hook which curves to the rear through 140°. A single copper-alloy rivet secures the front plate to the back plate at this end. 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 narrower and shorter than the front plate and also flares at the 'fish-tail' end. The artefact is worn, has no patina and the metal is drab brown in colour. The back plate has sprung away from the front plate at the 'fish-tail' end, where the back plate is broken. The book clasp measures 50.36 mm long, 22.13 mm wide, 4.07 mm thick and weighs 5.3 grams.Similar clasps may be seen illustrated in Margeson's 'Norwich Households', pp.74-75, refs: 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 a near identical example see IOW-046198, as well as DENO-596D98, HESH-0FA366, IOW-347A31, KENT-F13B17, SUR-5C6172; 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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