Medieval pewter cloak clasp - 71 mm

"Medieval Pewter Cloak Clasp

Culture / Period: Medieval
Date / Period: 15th century
Material: Pewter
Dimensions: 71 mm
Condition: Good condition, with age-related surface wear and patination

No shipping outside theopean Union. Due to complex export regulations concerning cultural goods, this item cannot be shipped outside the EU. Please ensure you have a delivery address within theopean Union before placing a bid.

Provenance information:
Object Registration ID: 984

The current owner (S.N.J. S.) purchased the cloak clasp from R.N. in Katwijk, the Netherlands.

The previous owner, R.N. from Katwijk, stated that the object had been in his collection since the 1990s. According to the previous owner, the object had previously been in a private collection in the Netherlands since the 1990s.

No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object was available from the previous owner.

Background Information:
Decorative clasps and dress fasteners formed an important part of late-medieval clothing. They served the practical purpose of securing garments such as cloaks and other outer clothing while also providing a visible decorative element. This elongated example has an openwork construction with multiple circular projections, raised bosses and finely textured surfaces. The reverse preserves elements of its fastening construction.

Dress accessories were an integral part of personal appearance in the 15th century. Clasps, buckles, mounts and other fittings ranged from simple functional pieces to elaborately decorated examples. Their design could reflect contemporary fashions while allowing relatively ordinary garments to be embellished with cast metal ornament.

Pewter and related tin-based alloys were well suited to the manufacture of such accessories. The metal could be cast in detailed moulds, permitting repeated production of complex forms with openwork, geometric patterns and raised decoration. These objects therefore belonged to an organised tradition of specialised metalworking rather than being individually improvised fittings. Production and trade in small metal accessories took place throughout the towns and commercial networks of late-medievalope.

The 15th century was a period of considerable development inopean urban life, textile production and personal fashion. Portable dress accessories circulated through regional markets alongside cloth and other manufactured goods, making decorative metal fittings available to a broad range of consumers. This clasp provides a tangible connection to late-medieval material culture and to the way clothing combined practical necessity with personal display in everyday life."