SCABBARD

An incomplete copper-alloy medieval scabbard chape. This chape has been cast in one piece and then folded in two. It would have originally have had two parallel pairs of rectangular shaped arms, projecting from each of its upper corners. Only one of these arms now survives the other three are missing due to old breaks and these breaks are worn. The surviving arm is 25mm in length, 5mm in width and tapers to a point, near to this pointed terminal there is a circular drilled perforation, 1.9mm in diameter.

The base of the chape is rectangular in shape and tapers slighly towards its end, it measures 21mm in width and 15mm in height. A central perforation (now open due to wear along its upper edge), has been cast in the centre near to the top edge of the chape on both sides. One face of the base has been decorated after casting with straight lines radiating downwards from the central perforation. The other face has an incised cross across it. An identical chape has been discovered at Hessett, Suffolk and Winchester where it was dated to the 13th century (Biddle 1990, 1082-1083, Fig 348, no 4031). Biddle (1990, 1082) suggests that chapes of this type are examples of the early development of chapes from a sheath binding, the forked tops/arms showing their origin.