MEDIEVAL PURSE

1450

A Type A1 late medieval purse bar made of copper-alloy with inlaid niello. This purse bar dates to the late 15th century. Only a fragment of one arm of the bar survives. The arm has a circular section and has been decorated with double criss-cross engraving filled with niello. Both ends of the surviving fragment are badly corroded and worn. Beneath the area with criss-cross lines there is part of an integral plate, which would have three holes drilled in it , this is now broken. At one terminal the section of the bar gets narrower, in order to allow the purse frame in sit inside the aperture, unfortunately due to a break and heavy wear this part of the terminal is badly damaged. Instead a stump (indicating the beginnings of the narrower section of the bar) remains. The metal is a mid greyish-green colour. The metal is slightly worn and pitted.