Rights Holder: Birmingham Museums Trust
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Unique ID: WAW-5F0F6D
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
Medieval (1100-1500) probable fragment of a swivel strap fitting or junction: The copper alloy object is a swivel fitting to which two straps were are connected. The fragment is an incomplete frame which has a thickened edge which has a perforation through it. Through the perforation there is an iron shaft which is corroded. The arms of the frame are incomplete and broken, but not recently.
The surface of the copper alloy frame is abraded and the iron is slightly corroded.
The swivel fitting weighs 5.5g and measures 22.43mm long, 19.94mm wide and 9.83mm thick.
Such swivels were used on a range of strap fittings including animal leashes, hanging purses and sword belt fittings and were probably in use for the entire Medieval period. Several similar fittings can be found on the database such as WAW-CE9B60, WAW-64CD53, NMS-8B44F7, HAMP-4B0513, HAMP-8B1C1C and a complete example HAMP-B2D455. Mills illustrates a similar type of strap fitting (No. M25) and dates it to the 11th to 12th century. Egan and Pritchard (2002) illustrate similar 'D' shaped components, Nos. 1231-1232, but none of which are joined in pairs. These are dated to the late 13th to early 14th centuries.
Egan, G. and Pritchard, F., 2002 Dress Accessories, c. 1150- c. 1450 (Medieval finds from Excavations in London) London: Boydell Press
Mills, N. 1999 Medieval Artefacts Colchester: Greenlight Publishing
Class: Swivel
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1100
Date to: Circa AD 1500
Quantity: 1
Length: 22.43 mm
Width: 19.94 mm
Thickness: 9.83 mm
Weight: 5.5 g
Date(s) of discovery: Wednesday 1st August 2018 - Monday 5th November 2018
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Primary material: Copper alloy
Secondary material: Iron
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Fragment
4 Figure: SO8165
Four figure Latitude: 52.28280941
Four figure longitude: -2.27993574
1:25K map: SO8165
1:10K map: SO86NW
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.