THIMBLE

A complete early post-medieval copper alloy thimble, dating AD 1520-1620. The thimble has a wide margin between the base and the regularly spaced pits which is decorated with a stamped pattern. The pattern comprises a stamped repeated decoration composed of a central annulet within a beaded circle with small stars above and below in the angles. The motif is stamped to form a band of decoration. Below this there is a thin stamped repeating band. The pits are drilled in a spiral and they cover the peak. There is no makers mark. The object is a brassy golden colour. Dimensions: length: 24.45mm; diameter: 17.62mm; weight: 4.47g.

Holmes (1988:3) writes "Thimbles with hand punched indentations often have a maker's mark which is struck where the spiral of the indentations begins near the base. These would appear to have been imported mostly from Nuremberg where, under the ordinances of the Guild of Thimble-makers, all thimbles and sewing rings were required to carry the mark of the master who made them. However not all Nuremberg thimbles are necessarily marked. So far as one can judge thimbles with makers' marks normally date from 1520-1620." Similar Nuremberg thimbles can be seen in Holmes (1988 Fig.5).

Similar thimbles on the database are LON-94D972 and NMS-725926. See also an example from the Mary Rose, which sank in 1545 (Gardiner and Allen 2005, 329-40, no. 81 A0807).