DRESS HOOK

A slightly corroded and bent cast copper-alloy dress hook dating to the post-medieval period. The object has been cast in one piece with an openwork, moulded upper surface; the lower surface is flat. The attachment loop is sub-rectangular, broadly part of the plate below. The plate features a pair of transverse bars with central circular bosses. The aperture between the upper bar and the top forms the loop. The aperture between the two bars is dumb bell shaped. The lower bar abuts the base of the plate; there is a small sub-triangular perforation below. At the ends of the bars the sides of the plate are incurved due to small semicircular removals. On all the wider parts of the side above and below these latter is cusping. The base of the plate, mentioned above, is formed of converging swags. These meet a double transverse ridged collar at the junction of plate and hook. The hook recurves to a sharp point and has been bent to one side slightly. The plate has also been bent upwards at the loop end as a result of old damage.

The metal has corroded to a red-brown colour with areas of off-white corrosion product on both faces. This is a better executed example of a design illustrated in Read (2008, 113; refs. 453), classified as his Early post-medieval Class E, Type 7 (heart-shaped); the published dress hook tag can also be seen on this database - ref. BUC-580C51. The design has parallels with contemporary sword-belt fittings (e.g. ibid., 209; ref. 754).