POST MEDIEVAL STRAP FITTING

Unknown artist

A postmedieval to modern copper alloy strap fitting; a belt fastener in the form of a S shaped snake. On one side of the fitting, both eyes are represented by two raised circular mouldings. The scales of the snake are represented by small raised circular dots and hachured lines. The underside of the snake is repersented by horizontal lines. It has a green/brown patina. Compare IOW-832BD6, SWYOR-64EEF7 and SWYOR-50EC92 (from which the following information is derived).Similar examples are illustrated in Gordon Bailey's Detector Finds 3 (1997), pages 20-21. Bailey states that the 'snake form belt hooks' became popular during the 16th century, where an example can be seen in the portrait of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, in about 1575. The fastener was part of a sword belt, and was used in place of the normal buckle. It is likely that these strap fittings would have been tinned or gilded. The snake belt hook would seem to have fallen from fashion by the 17th century, and remained so until the end of the 18th century, when it was favoured by the military (Bailey, page 20).