BUCKLE 767074

Description: An incomplete late medieval copper alloy buckle with integral decorative box chape, dating to the 15th century. Most of the frame is missing, but a fragment of the strap bar and a corroded fragment of the iron pin remain. A restricted collar attaches the bar to the integral plate which takes the form of a trapezoidal-shaped box, socketed for the strap. The box chape expands from 16.0mm wide and 5.3mm thick at the attachment end to 18.2mm wide and 6.7mm thick at the open end. A centrally placed copper alloy rivet remains in situ just inside the open end of the chape. On the upper surface the longitudinal edges of the chape are mostly chamfered and a transverse ridge delineates the box chape from the narrowed collar. Decoration on the upper surface is in the form of a chequered panel in relief, consisting of fifteen squares, alternately plain or with rocker-arm incisions. The reverse is flat and undecorated but bears iron staining towards the attachment end. The surface of the chape bears significant traces of silvering or tinning. The object is now 31.8mm long, a minimum of 11.4mm wide (at the collar) and a maximum of 18.2mm at the open end. It weighs 14.0g. Although no direct parallel in terms of decoration could be found, similar buckles with trapezoidal shaped chapes have been recorded on the database such as GLO-FCC147, CAM-500482 and WILT-0D329A. Further examples are published in Whitehead (1996) p.38, which the author dates to the 15th century.

Date: 1400 - 1500

Object type: BUCKLE

Last import: August 15, 2017