File:119 Purse Bar Mount, back (FindID 68008).jpg

English: Purse bar mount

Late 15th-early 16th century
46mm long, 28mm tall, 10mm thick

Shield shaped central boss (17mm long, 15mm tall, 10mm thick) with a round section small arm either side (7mm diameter). 3mm along the arm from the centre boss is a rounded recess 1mm deep that would have acted as a restriction for a far, 7mm along the bar from the boss is a second recess 3mm diameter, that would again act as a restriction for a set of bars that would hold up the purse fabric. The terminals comprises of a large oval disc (9mm tall, 7.5mm wide, 4.5mm thick) with a central boss on the end.

There is a bar passing through the top of the central boss from top to bottom, with the remains of a base of a loop on the top section and a rounded disc terminal at the base.

On one side of the central boss there is the remains of decoration comprising a central V-section groove running down from the top to the bottom. There are two similar grooves emanating from the base of the central line and running at a 45° angle either side, giving the appearance of an arrow. The other side is undecorated.

The artefact was originally silvered with very slight remains over the whole surface.

Dark green patina over about 40% of the surface, the rest has a light green corrosion layer.

The artefact is rather badly corroded with the main attachment loop missing.

mainly from the study of effigies and contemporary art work a late 15th-early 16th century date is derived, although an early 16th century date is more likely (Perkins, 1965, 167) and would correlate to the Museum of London's type B1 Purse Frame.