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BOOK FITTING
Unique ID: IOW-2BF565
Object type certainty: Probably
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
A medieval copper-alloy folded sheet book clasp of Howsam type A.8.1 (c. 1350-c. 1450). The plate, made from a long strip of metal, is folded widthways and each part is of equal length. It is sub-rectangular with broadly parallel sides and a concave attachment end. Near the terminal end, the sides taper inwards, also with concave curves, to form a projecting terminal at the fold. The fold has a wide gap to accommodate a possible ring (now missing) or cord.
At the centre of the attachment end there is a flat-headed copper-alloy rivet. A hole on the same alignment and close to the terminal end has a diameter of 2.2mm; this would have fitted over a peg on the opposite cover of the book.
The object has a patchy green patina with striations or scratches on the front and rear. Length: 35.9mm; width: 12.7mm; thickness: overall thickness: 5.6mm. Weight: 5.12g.
This plate is very similar to hinged book clasps discovered in London and dated to the late 14th/early 15th centuries (Egan and Pritchard 1991, 154-155, fig. 101; refs: 720, 723, 726).
Class:
clasp
Sub class: Howsam type A.8.1
Subsequent actions
Current location of find: Finder
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1350
Date to: Circa AD 1450
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 35.9 mm
Width: 12.7 mm
Thickness: 5.6 mm
Weight: 5.12 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 16th September 2018 - Sunday 16th September 2018
Personal details
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Other reference numbers
Other reference: IOW2018-7-257
Materials and construction
Spatial metadata
Region: South East (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Isle of Wight (Unitary Authority)
District: Isle of Wight (Unitary Authority)
To be known as: Isle of Wight
Spatial coordinates
Grid reference source: Generated from computer mapping software
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
References cited
| Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egan, G. and Pritchard, F. | 1991 | Dress Accessories, c.1150-c.1450 (Medieval Finds from Excavations in London 3) (1991) | London | Stationery Office Books | 54-155, fig. 101; refs: 720, 723, 726 | ||
| Howsam, C.L. | 2016 | Book Fastenings and Furnishings: An archaeology of late Medieval books | Sheffield | Unpulished PhD Thesis |
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Timeline of associated dates
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