Rights Holder: West Berkshire
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SLEEVE CLASP
Unique ID: BERK-437601
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
An incomplete early Anglo Saxon copper alloy sleeve clasp - catchpiece (late 5th - 6th century). The clasp is an epsilon-shaped plate; the entire piece is curved longitudinally, presumably to provide a better fit against the arm.
The clasp has a T-shaped lug situated at one corner along the rear edge. Originally there was a matching lug on the other corner, but the lower half of the clasp is missing. The remaining rear edge appears to be undecorated.
The clasp is decorated with an engraved Style I zoomorphic head and neck, this pattern would have been repeated on the lower half. The neck is decorated with two curling S-shapes, and ends at the top in a band of three raised parallel lines. The head has a rectangular headframe with an out-ward curling tendril; the eye beneath is unclear and the curled beak is small.
The front edge has an undecorated frame for the catch, but the bar that comprised the front of this is missing. Thick gilding remains on the rear edge, the catch-frame and in the recesses of the carved decoration. There is neither decoration nor gilding on the reverse. Mid green patina. Dimensions: length: 30.61mm; width: 21.13mm; thickness: 2.15mm; weight: 4.48g.
The sleeve clasp is similar to no.29.35 in The Ashmolean, found in Barrington, Cambridgeshire (MacGregor & Bolick 1993:181). It has been published in Mileson and Brookes 2014.
Find of note status
This has been noted as an interesting find by the recorder.
Class:
Hines form C1
Sub class: Mildenhall type
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Ascribed Culture:
Anglo-Saxon style
Date from: Circa AD 475
Date to: Circa AD 575
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 30.61 mm
Width: 21.13 mm
Thickness: 2.15 mm
Weight: 4.48 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Wednesday 1st March 2006
Personal details
This information is restricted for your access level.
Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Completeness: Incomplete
Surface Treatment: Gilded
Spatial metadata
Region: South East (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Oxfordshire (County)
District: South Oxfordshire (District)
To be known as: Ewelme
Spatial coordinates
Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
References cited
| Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacGregor, A. and Bolick, E. | 1993 | A summary catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon collections (non-ferrous metals), Ashmolean Museum, Oxford | Oxford | Tempvs Reparatum |
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Timeline of associated dates
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