CLASP

An incomplete cast copper-alloy folding strap clasp of Medieval date. It has a rectangular frame with narrowed rectangular bar and separately cast cylindrical bar at the outer edge. Hinging around the outer edge is a separately cast folding end that is flat, rectangular in form and has three evenly spaced triangular projections along its outer edge separated by triangular notches. The front face of the folding end has incised decoration comprising a row of short transverse strokes at the outer edge, followed by two single vertical grooves. Between each of the grooves is vertical zig-zag rocker decoration with transverse lines of rocker decoration in each angle of the zig-zag. At the bar end of the frame is a separately cast but incomplete attachment plate. This is flat, rectangular in form and folded around the bar to produce an upper and lower plate of similar dimensions, the lower plate now incomeplete due to old breaks. At the attachment end the upper plate has decoration consisting of a rectangle formed of rocker decoration that contains zig-zag rocker decoration. An incomplete, single central rivet hole is visible in the old breaks at the attachment end. The entire object measures 37.83mm in length, 11.93mm in width, 4.87mm in thickness (at frame) and 3.72g in weight.

This is an incomplete folding strap clasp of Medieval date. It finds close parallels in examples published from London (Egan and Pritchard, 1991: nos. 564-565) and is of 14th century AD date.