File:2006 T127 Post-Medieval silver-gilt composite dress fastener or dress hook from Prees, Shropshire (FindID 215957).jpg

Date: Post Medieval, 16th Century

Description: Complete silver-gilt composite dress fastener or dress hook. The back plate of the dress fastener is pentagonal in plan with circular knops on the front face located at each apex. The outer edge of the back plate is decorated with a series of oval shaped scallops. Attached to the centre of the front face of the plate is a hollow cast cushion, the plan of which mirrors that of the back plate. The cushion is decorated a series of six projecting roundels with central knop like projections. Each roundel correlates with the knops on the back plate. At the centre of the cushion is a similar but slightly larger roundel with a large central projecting knop. Each of the seven knops on the cushion is bordered with circlets of filigree. Much of this filigree is damaged or missing. The front face has been further decorated with a gilt surface.

The rear face of the dress fastener is undecorated. The hook is complete and tapers along its length terminating in a rounded point. The hook is U shaped in profile; however this has been distorted by movement in the ploughsoil. The attachment loop or bar is complete and attached to the upper part of the reverse of the back plate. The loop is sub-rectangular in plan and an angular C shape (staple shape) in cross section. Both the shank of the hook and the attachment loop are joined by solder to the reverse of the plate.

The dress fastener has been distorted and abraded in the ploughsoil. The font face has been slightly crushed or compressed and much of the filigree has been lost. Also much of the gilt applied finished has been lost from the front surface through abrasion.

Discussion This style of dress fastening was common during the 16th century in Tudor England and used to secure or close items of dress. A similar dress fastener can be seen in the Treasure Annual Report 2003, page 120-121 no. 237 'A Silver-gilt dress fastener from Whitchurch Shropshire' (Herepath 2005).

Dimensions: Length; 31.7mm, width; 17.48mm, thickness 12.71mm, weight; 6.51 grams.

Metal Content I believe that the precious metal content (silver) of the dress fastener fulfils the requirements of the Treasure Act in that it is greater than 10%. References: Gaimster et. al. 2002: Tudor silver-gilt dress hook: a new class of Treasure find in England', in Antiquities Journal, 82 Herepath, N. 2005: '2003 - T329 Post Medieval Silver Gilt Dress Hook, Whitchurch, Shropshire' in Treasure Annual Report 2003, DCMS, London.