BUCKLE 184917

Description: A corroded and incomplete double-looped buckle of early post-medieval date. The frame was formed of two conjoined ovals, one of which has been all but lost beyond the pin bar - that adjoining the plate. The pin bar is circular in cross-section and protrudes beyond the frame at both ends in rounded points. The extant frame is bevelled externally on the upper face, bevelling paralleled on the lower face. If this buckle frame was decorated none of the decoration now survives. The loop of the pin survives in situ around the pin bar and retained within the recesses of the buckle plate. The plate is formed of one copper-alloy sheet, cut and bent over on itself (L.: 30.3mm). From the pin bar it expands to a maximum width of 16.3mm before narrowing to a waist of 9.2mm. The abraded trilobed terminal is slightly flared at 11.5mm wide. There are remains of two rivet holes with iron staining around, one at each wide point mentioned. The plate appears to have been moulded, possibly with foliate patterns. The similarity in decoration to some sword-belt fittings should be noted. Also, the trilobed terminal is reminiscent of sword-belt fittings. Apart from the losses already noted, the outer edge of the buckle has been slightly bent. There is a transverse fracture line through on of the plate loops around the pin bar. The two folds of the buckle plate have become misaligned. The metal is characterised by bronze disease in differing shades of green; some red-brown metal can be seen underneath. The nature of the metal, the double-looped frame and the probable decoration suggest a date for this buckle in the 16th or 17th centuries, contemporary with sword-belt fittings. Parallels can be found on this database including far better preserved ones also from Hampshire (HAMP852, WILT-6CB926).

Date: 1500 - 1650

Object type: BUCKLE

Last import: August 15, 2017