POST MEDIEVAL LACE TAG

1500

A slightly distorted, post medieval, gold cloisonné aiglet or lace end. The object consists of a gold tube squashed into an elliptical cylinder, with a dome shaped end. The design on the outer surface consists of cells or cloisons delineated by twisted gold wire soldered onto the body of the object. These would have been filled with coloured enamels of which only the white survives. The mouth of the aiglet has a border of nine small circles around it. Below that are rectangular panels, three containing S shapes rope-wise, which have traces of white enamel. These alternate with three panels filled by a rope pattern, made by twisting the twisted cloison wire. The domed end is bordered by a strand of twisted wire and has a ten petalled flower with a circle of twisted wire around a ball knop. All the background enamel has gone so the writer can only speculate about whether the aiglet was colourful or all gold and white.Aiglets like this example can be seen in Tudor portraits as men's hat decorations as in An Unknown Man by Moretto da Brescia c. 1542 [National Portrait Gallery, London]. These objects were also favoured as decoration on lady's gowns and sleeves as in An Unknown Lady, thought to be a member of the Cromwell family by Hans Holbein 1536-1540 [in the Toledo Museum of Art] or Elizabeth FitzGerald, Countess of Lincoln by S. Vander Meulen c. 1560. See also 2011T44 [LON-F2F3A4] In terms of age and as the object contains more than the minimum of 10% precious metal it qualifies as Treasure under the stipulations of the Treasure Act 1996.