BOOK FITTING

An incomplete copper alloy hook-piece from a post-Medieval book-clasp (c. 1550-c. 1750). The artefact is flat and the hooked-end part is missing due to a transverse break. The surviving end is the attachment end. The main body of the fitting has parallel side with a width of 26.0mm and flares out at each side of the attachment end to form pointed corners. Here the width is 37.3mm. Along the edge of the attachment end there are four small decorative triangular removals. Close to the longitudinal centre-line, near the attachment end, are two rivet holes. One of these is circular with a diameter of 1.8mm and the other is slightly larger and sub-square in shape. Each hole has been formed by being pierced from the upper face as the edges of the holes are burred over on the rear face. On the upper surface the object has stamped decorated and consists of three ring-and-dot like motifs on a width-ways alignment. About mid-way between the attachment end and the break there is a single much larger motif of ring-and-dot form. At either side of this latter motif there are a series of longitudinal parallel grooves (also stamped). This fitting has traces of a mid-green, almost khaki coloured patina. Where there is no patina the surface colour is a reddish brown. The object has a number of transverse fracture lines. 49.0 x 37.3 x 0.6mm. Weight: 8.95g. 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, N. 1988. 'The post-Roman small finds from excavations in Colchester 1971-85'. 68, fig. 67, refs. 2992-2995. Colchester Archaeological Report 5. Colchester Archaeological Trust. Margeson, S. 1993. 'Norwich Households. Medieval and Post-Medieval Finds from Norwich Survey Excavations 1971-78'. 74, fig. 40, refs. 452-456. East Anglian Archaeology 58. Ottaway, P and Rogers, N. 2002. 'Craft, Industry and Every Day Life: Finds From Medieval York'. 2936, fig. 1503, refs. 14489 and 15234. The Archaeology of York Vol. 17. An array of illustrated book clasps have been published in Treasure Hunting magazine. See: Bailey, D and Bailey, G. May 1991. 'Clasps and Fasteners'. Treasure Hunting. 36-42. Witham, Essex.