POST MEDIEVAL WHIP

1750

A slightly damaged sheet silver terminal from a post-medieval object, possibly a riding crop (whip) or umbrella (c. 18th century). The artefact has been squashed in places but retains its general form: a hollow cylindrical body (Dia.: c. 12.1mm) that expands to a bulbous terminal (Dia.: c. 20.0mm). A longitudinal seam can be seen on the body; at the attachment end the seam parts have been folded over themselves as this end has been squashed. At the other end a separate disc has become slightly detached from the body at a point where the object has been struck in the past. The exterior of the object is decorated with fine engraving all over. From an incised transverse line at the attachment end four equally spaced flower and spray motifs emerge. Between the sprays are the terminals of four, also equally spaced, long motifs that begin at the terminal end. At the terminal end is a flower with groups of leaves to the sides and also above. These latter connect to another flower, beyond which a trefoil of leaves, followed by another flower and trefoil of leaves. Towards the base are pairs of small leaves with a little spray above, between the main motifs. The terminal disc is decorated with concentric rings of patterns at its edge: small triangles, then a line, small semicircles, small arcs, with nicks between the latter.