FURNITURE FITTING

A nearly complete cast copper alloy Post Medieval furniture fitting with a terminal in the form of a palm tree. The fitting consists of a circular piece of copper alloy pressed into the shape and detail of a palm tree fronts, beneath which protrudes a circular-sectioned trunk, which widens slightly, ending in a bell-shaped base with two raised circular collars. On the underside of the base, a segment of the iron fitting shaft remains; it is possible that this shaft was actually an iron screw thread as in related examples (cf. HAMP-CC6185). The entire fitting would have stood vertically, unlike some other examples, which have the decorative upper portion oriented perpendicular to the screw-end. The mount measures 61.69 mm long, with palm fronds measuring 31.43 mm long by 18.20 mm wide; the trunk of the tree ranges from approximately 5-8 mm in diameter; the smaller collar at the base measures 10.8 mm in diameter and the larger measures 17.4 mm in diameter. The remains of the iron fitting measure approx. 17 mm long. The fitting weighs 29.47 grams.

Fragments of such fittings have been recorded elsewhere on this datagbase with other decorative motifs, such as an eagle (cf. HAMP-CC6185 for further discussion). As this fitting's base mirror the example from Hampshire closely and the condition of the object is similar, a date of c. 1700-c. 1850 is suggested for this fitting.