310 (36)

282

182 Lace chapes: terminology

Dress Accessories

O edge to edge seam

overlapping seam end finished

j folded tab at end |^S'^S|^Sj untrimmed overlap at end

perhaps by being rotated under pressure while held at an angle against a fiat surface (fig 183), and several others show faceting at one or both ends. Although filing (as opposed to chamfered cutting, as claimed by Oakley - 1979, 263) is a possible explanation for the faceting at the free end, this seems impractical for the other end into which the lace would already have been fed before finishing could be carried out. The sharper facets may be the result at the free end of filing, or at both ends of crimping with a pincer-like tool, or perhaps they were produced by hammering or rubbing the ends at an angle (figs 189 & 183). A few of the late 14th- and early 15th-century chapes have smali rivet holes near the wider end. Although the rivets are missing in most instances, they are shown by x-ray photographs to be present in three examples. Traces of rust on several chapes suggest that the rivets were of iron.

Only nos. 1405-1436 listed below (all 40mm or less in length) are certainly lace chapes. The function of nos. 1437-1449 all from contexts earlier than the middle of the 14th century (cera-mic phase 9 or earlier), and which are generally longer and morę diverse in form than the later ones, is uncertain.

The contents of all the tubes were examined by Glynis Edwards (Ancient Monuments Labora-tory, HBMC), who has identified the materiał where survival and condition permit as leather (two certain examples and another possible one) or textile fibres (three possible examples) presumably representing original laces.

Ceramic phase 8 (c. 1230—c. 1260)

1405    TL74 acc. no. 574 (context 415)

1 40mm, d varies 3.5 - 1.5mm; brass (AML).

1406    TL74 637 (416) probably phase 8 fig 184

1 40mm, d 3 - 2mm, ends filed, overlapping seam; brass (AML).

Ceramic phases 10—11 (c. 1330—c. 1400)

1407    BC72 3743 (118)

129.5mm, d 2.5 - 1.5mm; brass (AML); wide end with untrimmed overlap.

Ceramic phase 11 (c. 1350—c. 1400)

1408    BWB83 2701 (328)

123mm, d 2 - 1.5mm; brass (AML); wide end possibly broken off.

1409    BC72 4154 (88)

1 26mm, d 2 - lmm; brass (AML); possible rivet hole.

1410    BC72 4465 (150)

1 29mm, d 2.5 - lmm; brass (AML); narrow end faceted; rivet present; contents degraded leather.