POST MEDIEVAL MINIATURE OBJECT

1600

Postmedieval lead alloy (probably pewter) toy plate. It is a shallow plate with straight-sided, tapering walls and a flat base. The outer rim is marked with a single circumferential line, and the flange is decorated with geometric ornament; alternating groups of vertical lines and circles. Its inner edge is marked with scrolls. The centre of the plate is worn and corroded, so that the design is no longer in high relief, but this seems to consist of a cinquefoil double rose. This central design is contined within a circle formed of paired lines interrupted by scrolling and floral decoration. The plate is complete. It measures 48mm in diameter,4mm in depth, and weighs 13g. Such miniatures are difficult to date, as their designs bear little similarity with the full-size plates they imitate. Nonetheless, the combination of geometric and floral ornament dates this example to around the 17th century. For parallels, see Forsyth & Egan 2005: Toys, Trifles & Trinkets.