Unique ID: WILT-06A431
Date: c. AD 1500–1650 (Early Post-Medieval)
Size: 37.8mm long and weighing 5.21g.
Material: Cast copper alloy.
When this first came out of the soil, my mind went straight to military hardware. Given the size and the attachment loops, I originally thought it was a sword belt strap fitting, very similar to a previous find of mine (WILT-336B57).
In an age before zippers and mass-produced buttons, how you held your clothes together said a lot about who you were. This cast copper-alloy clasp is the “eye” half of a hook-and-eye set. While the hook portion is missing, the surviving piece is a beautiful example of early post-medieval craftsmanship.
The oval panel features delicate foliate and floriate decoration; a moulded relief with three round knops (studs) and a collared end. It’s a reminder that even functional items were rarely plain; someone took the time to make this fastener look as good as the garment it held. It just goes to show that “heritage” isn’t just about coins and crowns; it’s about the everyday items—from sword belts to lady’s gowns—that people used hundreds of years ago. To hold a clasp that likely fell off a garment in the 1500s connects you directly to the person who lost it.
