BOOK FITTING

An early Post-Medieval (c. 1500 - c. 1700) copper alloy book-clasp: The body of the book clasp is a long, slender rectangle with a off-set rectangular protrusion at one narrow edge, whose edge is curled downwards forming the clasp element. There are two rivet holes, one on the opposite edge of the clasp, and is off-centre, the other is towards the clasp, but not on the edge. The clasp has been decorated with a central boss within four low-relief concentric rings. Along the edge opposite the clasp is two feint ring and dot motifs. The clasp has been broken in half, not intentionally, and it does not appear to be too recent. The surface of the clasp has a mid green patina. The clasp measures 73.35mm long, 30.39mm wide at this edge and weighs 17.1g.

Numerous similar clasps are recorded on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database. Illustrated examples of book clasps have been published in monographs and journals. For example, see: Crummy, 1988; Margeson, 1993; Ottaway, 2002. They are considered to date to the early Post Medieval period (c. 1500 - c. 1700).

Crummy, N. 1988. 'The post-Roman small finds from excavations in Colchester 1971-85' Colchester Archaeological Report 5. Colchester Archaeological Trust

Margeson, S. 1993. 'Norwich Households. Medieval and Post-Medieval Finds from Norwich Survey Excavations 1971-78'. 74, East Anglian Archaeology 58

Ottaway, P and Rogers, N. 2002. 'Craft, Industry and Every Day Life: Finds From Medieval York' The Archaeology of York Vol. 17