DRESS HOOK

A complete gilded silver single single hooked cap or hat hook, of Early Post Medieval dating (16th to 17th Centuries AD).

The hook is complete and comprises three separate elements: a separate S shaped wire hook, a circular back plate and a hollow domed front plate. The dome has been decorated with an overlay offiligree wire. The filigree has been made from both S and Z twisted wire.S twisted wire is present decorating thedome, whereas Z twisted wire is present around the base of the dome. Solder is present securing the filigree to the domed front plate and circular back plate. In the centre of the dome is a raised pellet, formed from the ends of the twisted wire. Behind this, is a piece of twisted wire in a figure of eight shape, with an S shape beneath it. Below the central device, are four roundels, each with a trefoil of three annulets with the end of the wire twisted in the centre and hammered flat. In the spaces between each roundel, a single annulet of filigree.The edge of the back plate is embattled (small rectangular notches removed from the edge). The back plate is 0.5mm thick. On the reverse of the back plate, an S shaped wire hook has been soldered in place.The wire hook has been made from a circular sectioned piece of wire, with a diameter of 1.8 mm and it tapers to a sharp point.

The hook measures 12.9 mm in length, with a head diameter of 12.8 mm. The boss extends 6.1 mm above the soldered hook. It weighs 2.0 g.

The hook is a mid grey to yellow colour, with traces of gilding surviving on the surface.

Read (2008, 189-190) classifies hooks like this as Early Post Medieval hat hooks, Class A, Type 1 as they have circular back plates. He illustrates a similar one with a domed filigree boss as no 713 (p 193). Several similar examples have been recorded on the PAS database including:DEV-602BE3;NMS-4B14D5;WAW-76E261;DENO-4BF243 andHAMP3703. These are all considered to be of 16th to 17th Centuries AD dating (AD 1500 to AD 1600).