DRESS HOOK

A complete post-Medieval silver-gilt cinquefoil dress-hook (c. 1500-c. 1600). Treasure case no. 2017 T733.

This dress-hook is in the form of a stylised flower head with five evenly spaced 'petals'. The cinquefoil back-plate is largely concave at the front, flat at the rear and has a central hole to accommodate a rivet/split-pin/butterfly clip. At the front, between each 'petal', there is a domed boss/ turret surmounted by a knop/nipple. One of the bosses is bent inwards and another has a filigree circlet around the knop which is barely visible. The bending of the knop seems to have occurred during its manufacture. The centre of the dress-hook has a domed headed rivet or split pin, whose shank is divided into two forming a butterfly clip and passes through the hole of the back plate. The arms of the shank are folded in opposite directions, lying flat against the plate to secure the rivet in place. Behind the head of the rivet, there is a sub-circular concave sheet washer which is decorated at the front with radiating grooves. At the rear of the back-plate a rectangular attachment loop has an unclear maker's mark which could possibly be 'I F' or 'I E'. The tapering re-curving hook on the rear face is circular in cross-section and terminates with a sharp point. However, it is flat where it makes contact with the back plate.

The dress hook has no obvious wear and is gilded overall. Solder can be seen where the attachment loop and hook have been attached. The bosses were probably soldered to the back-plate but no solder can be seen.

18.5mm (length); 13.2mm (width); 12.8mm (overall thickness); 13.4mm (length of back-plate); 13.2mm (width of back-plate); 1.0mm (thickness of back-plate); 3.2mm (maximum diameter of bosses); 8.1mm (width of attachment loop); 1.7mm (depth of attachment loop) c. 9.5mm (length of hook); 1.3mm (maximum diameter of hook). Weight: 2.43g.

A similar five petalled version has been recorded by Gaimster et al (2002, 167, no. 10).

A very similar dress-hook has been published by Brain Read (Read 2008: 83, ref: 281) and has been classified as a Read Class D, Type 8.

Similar dress-hooks have been recorded as Treasure, see finds TAR: 2004 T277 (PAS: PAS-62DAD2); TAR: 2004 T459 (PAS: SF-EE91AB); TAR: 2005 T23 (PAS: DEV-E3E103); TAR: 2008 T74 (PAS: NMS-EE6527); TAR: 2008 T746 (PAS: NMS-1036F5) and TAR: 2011 T214 (PAS: ESS-993015).

Gaimster, D. Hayward, M. Mitchell, D and Parker, K. (2002), "Tudor Silver-gilt Dress-hooks: A New Class of Treasure Find in England", The Antiquaries Journal, Vol.82, 2002, pp. 157-196.

Read, B. 2008. Hooked Clasps and Eyes. Portcullis Publishing.