BOOK FITTING

A post-medieval book clasp formed from two sheets of copper alloy riveted together. The front plate is roughly rectangular in shape, but flares out broadly at the attachment end. The attachment edge is notched and below this the front plate is decorated with finely incised lines, forming a leaf or feather pattern. Three adjacent holes are arranged around 1cm below the attachment edge. In the centre of the front plate is a further hole surrounded by two concentric circles. The base of the plate, at the terminal end, is decorated with a number of longitudinal incised parallel lines. It then culminates in a wider rectangular band at the terminal, followed by an integral hook formed from a small strip of metal 8.6mm wide. The hook appears to be complete and would have originally hooked into the other half of the fitting, which was attached to the reverse side of the book. The back plate consists of another rectangular strip of metal. This is attached to the front plate with three rivets, one near to the terminal end and two near to the attachment end - all remain in situ. The terminal edge of the back plate is slightly uneven and the attachment edge is missing, having broken away slightly below the two rivets. The object is bent at one point near to the centre. The metal is greenish-brown in colour with patches of brighter green erosion, particularly on the back plate. Similar clasps may be seen in Margeson's 'Norwich Households', pp.74-5, no's:453 and 454. These Margeson suggests both date to the second half of the 16th century, based upon evidence from a book with a similar clasp that we know dates to this period. Length: 44.4mm, width: 27.4mm, thickness 5.9mm Weight: 10.7g