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Description: | An incomplete and bent early post-medieval copper alloy book clasp in two pieces (an upper and lower plate), dating to the 16th or 17th century. The clasp is formed of a thin rectangular strip of metal, bent and broken in the centre, with one expanded end and missing its integral hook at the opposite end.The lower plate is 37.3mm long and weighs 2.89g. It has an expanded end which flares out to the sides and a serrated edge. One of the expanded sides has been bent back on itself. The upper surface is decorated with an irregular series of longitudinal engraved lines down the length of the half, and towards the expanded end two stamped concentric circles surround a rivet hole for a missing rivet. Below this is a second hole containing a fragment of an iron rivet.The upper plate is 46.1mm long and weighs 4.24g. It has a slight rectangular expansion at the top, just before the break for the missing integral hook. This end is decorated with a series of longitudinal grooves, longer at the sides and shorter in the centre. Below this is a hole containing a copper alloy rivet projecting to the reverse.The reverse of the book clasp is undecorated but bears traces of iron staining around the two remaining rivets. The surface of the upper plate is a brownish-purple colour with a small patch of bright green corrosion, while the lower plate is a bright green colour all over.The book clasp is 13.9mm wide at the expanded end and 12.4 mm wide at the hook end. The two pieces are 1.3mm thick and together weigh 7.15g.The form and decoration are typical of book clasps of the early post-medieval period, as discussed by Margeson (1993: 74). Many similar example can be seen on the PAS database e.g. WMID-E6F4E6; YORYM-9FEF34 and SOM-1D5355.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/ | Go to resource |
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