King’s Head Strap Clasps or Buckles
It can be quite impressive how one find can spark a level of interest in a type that previously seemed relatively dull and ordinary.
A couple of months ago, I was pleasantly surprised to have a small face staring back at me from within that batch of finds received to be recorded. That face, with two beady eyes, a slit mouth and spiky hair was recorded as WAW-2C1F52, a cast copper alloy two part folding strap clasp, dated to the 14th Century.
From the published literature, (Egan and Pritchard, 2002, Dress Accessories, #568) and Meols, #721, this particular type of strap clasp would seem relatively scarce. However several searches on the PAS database turned up over 100 examples. So perhaps they are not as rare as the published literature would lead us to believe.
The examples from the PAS database appear to fall into 6 main decorative types:
A Crowned Head (which lead to their nickname as “King’s Head Buckles”);
Url: https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/227703 PAS record number: ESS-6E39D5
Object type: Clasp
Broadperiod: Medieval
County of discovery: Essex
Stable url: https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/227703
A Mitred Head (imitating a bishop as opposed to a King);
Medium sized image of: BERK-CEEEB7 a MEDIEVAL Clasp BERK-CEEEB7
a Plain head;
Medium sized image of: WAW-2C1F52 a MEDIEVAL CLASP
a Head and Shoulders type;
Medium sized image of: DENO-1CFB90 a MEDIEVAL buckle
a Zoomorphic or Animal head variant
Medium sized image of: NCL-730447 a MEDIEVAL BUCKLE
and a Geometric designed type.
Medium sized image of: NMS-E21D84 a MEDIEVAL strap fitting
The majority of these examples exist just as the frame of the clasp, or as partial remains of the frame, but some still retain the strap plate. Some even have a pin present, suggesting that they operated as a buckle as opposed to a clasp. The difference between a buckle and a clasp in this situation is the presence or absence of a pin, which means in the absence of a strap plate, or evidence on the frame, then it is hard, if not impossible to determine if a particular example operated as a clasp or a buckle. However it is worth noting that the frame seemed to function for both purposes. It is still unknown exactly how this type operates as a two part folding strap clasp. Further research, including examination of iconographic sources (e.g. paintings and memorial brasses) will have to be done.
They appear to be mainly central and south east in geographical distribution, with Lincolnshire and Norfolk having significantly more examples than other counties.
More work needs to be done to locate more stratified examples, to confirm that the dating is 14th Century. The unstratified material from the PAS database would suggest that there should be significantly more examples out there than the excavated examples suggest, just that no one has really considered them important enough to examine.
Therefore, if anyone comes across any further examples, I would be very interested to hear about them.
My email address is teresa.gilmore@shropshire.gov.uk.