File:1091 Medieval strapend (FindID 133520).jpg

English: Cast copper alloy strap end length 49mm, width 20mm, thickness 6mm, weight 15.19g. The attachment end is a rectangular integral hollow plate, in plan 23mm long by 20mm wide, the aperture is 2mm tall and 17mm wide. The bottom part is made from a piece if sheet copper alloy that is riveted into place with four rivets, the two in the front are copper alloy, the two at the rear are Fe. Decoration of the plate consists of a double collar at either end the opposite. The main section has a four petalled flower within a recessed border.

The terminal of the strapend consists of a is a trefoil foliate motif consisting of a five leafed branch on each arm, at the base of the arms is a single collar, with a diamond below and scrollwork motif either side.

There are patches of gold on the face and reverse, showing that the whole of the artefact was gilt. The overall condition is poor, corrosion has attacked the object resulting in a greenish brown pitted surface with light green patches.

Artefacts such as these have documented on a number of brasses such as John Cory, at Stoke Fleming, d1391 (Ward Perkins, 1967, 266-267). Ward Perkins suggests that this type of strap end date to the 1390-1410 (1967, 268). However, recent work done on excavated buckles from London has shown that this style of attachment, that of a hollow integral plate, is more of a early 15th century practice (Egan, 1991, 102-106), therefore a 1375-1450 date is the most likely.