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Description: | An incomplete cast copper alloy set of nut crackers, of Late Post Medieval to Early Modern dating (17th to 18th Centuries AD).Approximately 50% of the nut crackers is present, consisting of one complete arm and hinge. The complete arm tapers gently from the hinge down towards a stylised acorn shaped molded terminal. The hinge consists of two sub circular lugs, one on either side of the arm, each with a central perforation. An iron axis pin is still present between both lugs. The top part of the arm is sub circular in shape and consists of horizontal circular ring decoration on the outside and a flat face with a series of triangular indentations on the inner surface. It is this surface that would have cracked the nut. The rest of the arm is circular in cross section. Two bands of decoration are present, one just below the flat operational surface and the other above the terminal. These bands of decoration consist of three sets of paired horizontal rings. A stylised acorn, with circular knop at base is present as the terminal.The nut crackers measure 105.46 mm in length, 11.79mm wide and 15.08mm thick. It weighs 38.0 grams.The nut crackers are mid to dark green colour, with an uneven surface patina. Abrasion, caused by movement whilst within the ploughsoil, has resulted in a loss of some of the original surface. These areas are a lighter green in colour, and should be monitored for signs of active copper corrosion from occurring (bright green powdery residue). To reduce this risk, the nut crackers should be stored in an sealed air tight dry box, such as a Stewart box lined with acid free tissue and silica gel.A variety of different nut crackers have been recorded on the PAS database, the majority of them date from the late 17th Century, through to the 19th Century. No direct parallel has been found at the time of recording for a set of nut crackers with similar decoration to this example, but it is still believed to be of Post Medieval dating, probably 18th to 19th Centuries AD.
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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