POST MEDIEVAL UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT

1700

Unidentified object made from sheet copper alloy. A rectangular piece of sheet has had one long edge folded over to enclose ?iron corrosion, perhaps from a piece of iron wire. Next to the fold is a longitudinal groove, then a wavy pattern made up of three parallel grooves, then another longitudinal groove. The wavy pattern is interrupted at one end by a sub-circular/sub-rectangular hole. The other long edge is scalloped with each scallop decorated with three wide radiating grooves. Between each pair of scallops, interrupting the second longitudinal groove, is a circular hole - two survive complete and a third is broken. Each short end appears to be broken; four complete scallops and part of a fifth survive. The longitudinal grooves and the wavy grooves are made by the 'rocked tracer' technique where the engraving tool is rocked very slightly from side to side, causing a tiny zigzag within the groove. This technique is used on very late Anglo-Saxon and medieval metalwork, but this object has the feel of something more recent. The patina is dark brown.