FLAGON

An incomplete, probably pewter, late medieval or post-medieval flagon handle dating possibly to 1400 - 1750AD. Probably from a ceramic flagon

The circular ring-like loop handle would have encircled the handle of the flagon and its extension would stand straight above the handle and been attached to the lid of the flagon.. This circular loop was formed attached to an extension 8.5mm long with two arms 9.5mm long with a space 6.9mm wide and a central lug with line decorations on its top surface. The two arms have holes through which a pin has been inserted which has the moving handle mounting encircling this pin.The ends of the pin have then been hammered or burred in some way to prevent the pin becoming loose. The moving handle has a slot in this encircling band over the pin, into which the central lug on the original loop handle fits. The moving handle has a scallop shell shaped extension or thumb piece which, when depressed, would have caused the lid to open. The reverse of the shell-shaped section is decorated, and is possibly illustrating a stylised human face.

The handle measures 59.66mm in overall length laid flat, and 25.25mm in max width with a thickness of 14.74mm. It weighs 29.04g.

There are a few possibly earlier flagons illustrated in "The Medieval Household" Egan 1998 which, although all metal flagons, give the basis of how this fitting would have worked (p.188-91)