BOOK FITTING

Front plate of the hooked section of a late Medieval Post Medieval book clasp. The sheet plate is broadly rectangular in plan with one end (the strap attachment end) flared out in width and cut into three branches. The branches divided from each other by narrow but deep cuts. The opposite end is straight and from the centre projects an integral backward facing rectangular hook. There are three circular holes containing seperate copper alloy tivets, one in the centre and one in each out the corners of the attachment end. Two appear complete with burred over ends while one in one corner is broken. Four further circular holes appear decorative and are arranged in pairs running transversely across the plate, one pair near the hook and one pair near where the atatchment end splits.

The upper surface is plain apart from the branching end. The outer branches are trapezoid in shape, widening to their outer edges which are concave. The central branch has a triangular end and is decorated with incised lines marking a central stem with multiple diagonal lines on each side gining a design like a feather; the position of the circular holes thorugh the plate suggesting a continuation of the feather stem. The back is plain.

The metal has a mid reddish-brown patina with patches of green corrosion and is very worn. The book clasp is bent back on itself and estimated at 77mm long, 30.8mm wide at the attachment end, 0.9mm thick excluding the hook and rivets and weighs 9.85g.

Similar book clasps are known from contexts in York dated to the 15th and 16th centuries (Ottaway & Rogers 2002: 2936-7) and from the 16th century in Norwich (Margeson 1993: 74).