DRESS FASTENER (DRESS)

Description
Silver 'dress clasp loop'. The front is decorated with trefoils in plain wire arranged around single pellets, soldered to the back plate. A central trefoil sits within a triangular frame cable wire border. The back of the backplate is plain. The external, decorated face is gilded. One large perforation cut through the backplate (now incomplete) would have received the fastening hook.

The item measures 13.7mm x 14.3; thickness 1.2mm. The dress clasp loop weighs 1.1g.

Metal Content
To judge from its colour and weight and visual comparison with silver brooches and other items in the collections of the Department of Archaeology & Numismatics, the alloy is well in excess of 10% silver.

Conclusions
Close parallels to this dress clasp loop with similar triangular panels are known from Pocklington, East Yorkshire (TAR 2008, cat. No. 368), Tendring District, Essex (TAR 2008, cat. no. 370) and a smaller version from the Ipswich area, Suffolk (TAR 2001, cat. no. 151). These were dated to the sixteenth century. Other forms of dress hook are now known from Wales, such as one with a quatrefoil backplate from Llanhennock, Monmouthshire (Treasure Reference No. 11.02) and a box form dress-hook from Carew, Pembrokeshire (Treasure Reference No. 08.10). The latter is paralleled by examples from Chelsham Court Farm, Chelsham, Surrey (Gaimster et al 2002, 166, cat. no. 8), and Arreton, Isle of Wight (TAR 2005-6, cat. nos 656). Trefoil versions include those from Wentlooge, Monmouthshire (TAR 2007, 332) and Shillington, Bedfordshire (TAR 2005-6, nos 643). Documentary evidence indicates that these items were popular in the sixteenth century (the latest reference in an inventory being dated 1598; Gaimster et al 2002, 184).