CANDLE SNUFFER

A fragment of early post-medieval copper-alloy candle-snuffer. It is a long, flat, narrow rectangle, with a trefoil terminal at each of the narrow edges. Each trefoil is decorated with a small knop. The trefoils are decorated with three drilled conical indentations. The rest of the fragment is divided into two blocks by pairs of transverse grooves. In each block there are a pair of ring and dot designs. The longer edges are decorated with two rows of zig-zag (or 'rocker-arm') designs. In two corners of the mount, along the same edge, there is a circular perforation, perhaps for attachment to the rest of the snuffer. The upper surface has a well developed mid-dark green patina. The reverse has file marks visible, particularly on the terminals. The central portion has a 'U' shaped discolouration on the reverse which covers the two perforations. In profile the mount is slightly bent, but this was probably not intentional.

The fragment measures 67.47mm long, 12.32mm wide and 1.59mm thick. It weighs 7.1g.

This component originally formed one edge of the box into which the 'snuff' (trimmed wick) would have dropped during trimming with a scissors-type candle snuffer. The scar on the reverse comes from the rest of the box, to which this side may have been attached using solder, with rivets to increase the object's strength. Scissors-type snuffers with this type of box are usually thought to date from the 17th or early 18th century, but the rocker-arm decoration on this example may suggest an earlier date.

Compare LIN-F6A115, SWYOR-6E9078, SOM-409575 and PUBLIC-8BF257.