POST MEDIEVAL JEWELLERY FITTING

A gold jewellery fitting of Post-Medieval date, 16th-17th century.Dora Thornton of the British Museum writes:'The main body of the artefact is made of thin gold wire, each end recurving on itself to create a loop and the form is of a long bodied s-shape. Attached at one of these looped ends are a further two gold wire loops (so forming a chain link). A five pronged circular shape (akin to an opened umbrella) has been threaded through the main body to the other end and has been soldered on at the base of the loop. At the end of each prong is circular opening. This element has been flattened against the body of the artefact. Three of the openings have a thin gold wire loop through them, two do not. It is possible to see that there is a thin gold wire loop which has been flattened against the body of the artefact and so this suggests there were six prongs. This extremely fine jewellery element has a construction which suggests that it may derive from a small accessory with pendant gems or pearls such as a pomander or earring. Slightly coarser and larger fittings of this kind can be seen in the Cheapside Hoard in the British Museum (1914,0423.3) which is thought to date from the late 16th century to the very early 17th century. It is possible that the fitting is earlier as similar projecting elements of this kind are also found on 15th century pendants and brooches such as the group in the British Museum found in the Meuse River in Belgium (AF.2769). The more open construction might suggest the later date.'