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Description: | A cast copper-alloy zoomorphic strap fitting in the form an 'S' shaped snake of early Post-Medieval to Modern date. This strap fitting would have been used as a belt fastener or buckle. Both sides of the snake clearly depict the mouth and eyes. A raised line runs along the centre of the body from outer edge of each eye to the tip of the tail. From this line regular, relatively close set, lines come off at approximately 90 degrees extending to the edge of both back and belly along the entire length of the snake.Similar examples are illustrated in Gordon Bailey's Detector Finds 3 (1997), pages 20-21. Bailey states that the 'snake form belt hooks' became popular during the 16th century, where an example can be seen in the portrait of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, in about 1575. The fastener was part of a sword belt, and was used in place of the normal buckle. It is likely that these strap fittings would have been tinned or gilded. The snake belt hook would seem to have fallen from fashion by the 17th century, and remained so until the end of the 18th century, when it was favoured by the military (Bailey, page 20).See SWYOR-EE08CB, NLM-7CABC6 & BERK-42F279.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/ | Go to resource |
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