BUCKLE

A Post Medieval incomplete copper alloy buckle with attached plate dating 1550-1650. Only one loop remains of this double-looped buckle, the other loop is broken and only two small projections indicate its original presence. This break may have occurred in antiquity and the broken edges were filed and the buckle continued in use. The frame has a slightly widened outer edge with no notch for the pin rest. The cross bar is narrowed and recessed with lobed knops at either end. The pin is still present and is constructed from a pointed piece of sheet metal roughly wrapped around the cross bar. This may be a replacement pin. The front surface is decorated with a raised rim around the inner side of the loop and raised foliate patterns (the pattern is described by Whitehead (see below) as vine scroll). The buckle plate is formed of a similarly shaped front and back piece with a large loop attached to one corner of the front sheet. There is a rectangular pin slot with plain rectangular tabs to either side. The buckle plate was cast in one piece and looped 180º over the cross bar. On the front plate below the pin slot the plate widens slightly before narrowing to a waist then expanding to a tri-lobed terminal. The back plate is a similar shape but instead of the tri-lobed terminal it has a simple rounded terminal. One corner of the tri-lobed terminal on the front plate expands into a large loop (11.10mm in diameter). The wider section and terminal of the front plate are decorated with foliate decoration similar to the frame. There are traces of a white metal coating on the decorated section of the front plate. There are two circular rivet holes in the plate filled with iron corrosion: one in the lobed terminal and one in the wider section about half way along the plate.

The similarity of this buckle, in particular the tri-lobed buckle plate, to contemporary sword belt hangers (Read 2001: fig.26, no.373) suggests they are part of a suite of items for a sword belt. This example is very similar to SUSS-C9A2E0.

Dimensions: length: 46.12mm; width: 27.89mm; thickness: 7.59mm; diameter: 11.10mm; weight: 11.16g.

Reference: Read, B. 2001. Metal Artefacts of Antiquity. Portcullis Publishing, Langport, Somerset.