POST MEDIEVAL STRAP FITTING

1500

An incomplete Post Medieval copper alloy strap-clasp, dating 16th-18th century. The object would have been S-shaped, though now only one half remains. There is a central section with three rounded lobes, leading to one arm of the clasp. The arm tapers away from the centre, ending in a zoomorphic terminal. The animal represented on the object is unclear, though they are usually thought to be snakes. The object has a mid green patina. Similar objects are recorded on the PAS database, cf.LON-08DC58. They have quite a broad date range, with the earliest known depiction of such a clasp found on a portrait of Robert Dudley 1st Earl of Leicester, dating AD 1575. The clasp was part of a sword belt and was used instead of the normal buckle. These clasps seem to have fallen out of fashion by the 17th century, and remained so until the end of the 18th century, when it was favoured by the military.Dimensions: length: 21.30 mm; width: 16.42 mm; thickness: 4.59 mm; weight: 2.77g.