Rights Holder: The Portable Antiquities Scheme
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BOOK FITTING
Unique ID: IOW-7D75B7
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published 
A Medieval cast copper-alloy book clasp of Howsam type A.9.2 (c. 1300-c. 1400 AD).
The object consists of a rectangular 'box chape' or hollow plate, integral with a quatrefoil element from which extends a moulded zoomorphic terminal. The attachment end (box chape) is hollow and rectangular in plan and the edges are at right angles to the faces. At the attachment end, which is slightly flattened, there is a small copper-alloy rivet at each corner which penetrates both faces. Both rivets are dome-headed at the front and flush at the rear. The front of the box is engraved to form the letters: IhC (the sacred monogram based on the Greek word for Jesus)
The raised quatrefoil element is hollow and has a central circular 'peg' hole on the underside. The edges of the quatrefoil are at right angles to the face. On the upper surface of this element is engraved decoration. However, due to loss of some material, the decoration is unclear.
Beyond this element is a terminal that is roughly triangular in plan and is moulded in the shape of a stylised animal head. Expansions along the length relate to the eyes and snout. The sides are wavy. The tip of the terminal forms a snout which is transversely pierced to hold a separate and free-running copper alloy ring which has an external diameter of about 8.45mm. The ring is circular in cross-section. The clasp appears to be cast in one piece excepting the ring and the rivet and has a flat lower surface. The piece is gilded overall.
The clasp would have been attached to the end of a strap on one cover of the book and the hole in the underside would have fitted over a peg fixed to the other cover. The ring at the end may have taken a cord to make it easier to pull the clasp on and off the peg.
53.89 x 19.29 x 8.24mm. Weight: 17.30g.
Similar book clasps have been recorded on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database. See finds: HAMP1901; HAMP-C0F9E7; HESH-CE2816; SF7379and SUR-9222A1.
Fingerlin (1971) dates them to the second half of the 14th century, but her grounds for assigning such a narrow date-range are unclear.
Class:
clasp
Sub class: Howsam type A.9.2
Inscription:
ihc
Subsequent actions
Current location of find: Finder
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1300
Date to: Circa AD 1500
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 53.89 mm
Width: 19.29 mm
Thickness: 8.24 mm
Weight: 17.3 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Wednesday 11th April 2012
Personal details
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Other reference numbers
Other reference: IOW2012-4-175
Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Complete
Surface Treatment: Gilded
Spatial metadata
Region: South East (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Isle of Wight (Unitary Authority)
District: Isle of Wight (Unitary Authority)
To be known as: Isle of Wight
Spatial coordinates
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
References cited
| Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Portable Antiquities Scheme Annual Report 2004/05 | London | Museums, Libraries and Archives Council | 71-72 | 133 | ||
| Geake, H. | 2001 | Finds Recording Guide Version 1.1 | 61 | ||||
| London Museum | 1940 | London Museum Medieval Catalogue | London | HMSO | 270, ref. 4 |
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Timeline of associated dates
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