365 (22)

338

Dress Accessońes

1644 BWB83 acc. no. 3508 (context 175)

ceramic phases 6-9 fig 221

Top half + loop; d 17mm; d of loop 1.5mm.

Brass and gunmetal

These bells, from deposits of the late 13th to early 15th centuries (ceramic phases 9 to 12), were produced from four components: a suspen-sion loop, cut from sheeting, a hollow body madę in two halves by hammering a piece of sheet in a form, and a round, iron pea (fig 221). The loop was inserted upwards through a hole cut in the upper half of the body and the ends were bent outwards and then inwards, in the manner of a staple, so that it remained rigid rather than swivelling, and an aperture was cut in the lower half of the body. A lead/tin solder was used to join the two halves together, once the pea had been inserted, leaving a flanged seam linę. This was a weakness in the design, sińce sixteen out of the twenty four examples have split apart at the seam. Brass rumbler-bells bearing geometrie and heraldically-derived decoration have been re-corded from London (eg Mitchiner 1986,131 nos. 348-349), but nonę has been recovered from closely dated deposits.

site fig accession context ceramic description number    phase

1645 SWA81 221	580	2055	9
1646 SWA81	1927	2135	9
1647 BWB83	2146	290	9
1648 BC72	4150	88	11
1649 BC72	4310	150	11
1650 BWB83	1259	110	11
1651 BWB83	2066	142	11
1652 BWB83	1406	151	11
1653 BWB83	1376	156	11
1654 BWB83	2309	286	11
1655 BWB83	4640	299	11
1656 BWB83	1185	307	11
1657 BWB83	2069	308	11
1658 BWB83	2750	345	11
1659 BWB83	2751	345	11
1660 BWB83	5034	399	11
1661 SWA81	940	2102	12
1662 SWA81	955	2102	12
1663 BWB83	3250	265	12
1664 BWB83	5305	326	12
1665 BWB83	5306	326	12
1666 TL74 221	2149	368	12
1667 BWB83	4885	(unstratified)

Brass with iron pea (AML); complete; d 13mm; w of loop 1.5mm

Complete except for loop; d 18mm

Top half + loop; flattened; w of loop 2mm

Brass (AML); top half + loop; flattened; w of loop, 3mm

Bottom half; d 24mm

Top half + loop; flattened; w of loop 3mm

Bottom half; d 22mm

Gunmetal (AML); bottom half; d 23mm

Complete except for pea; flattened; w of loop l.Smm

Complete except for pea; loop broken; flattened; w of loop 2.5mm

Bottom half; d 17mm

Top half + loop; flattened; w of loop 1.5mm Complete except for loop; d 16mm Bottom half; d 18mm Part of top half + loop; w of loop 2mm Top half + loop; flattened; w of loop 1.5mm Top half + loop; flattened; w of loop 2mm Top half + loop; d c.l7mm; w of loop 1.5mm Top half + loop; flattened; w of loop 1.5mm Complete; flattened; w of loop 1.5mm Brass (AML); top + bottom halves; flattened Brass; complete; d 34mm; w of loop lOmm Top half + loop; d c.24mm; w of loop 2mm

Tin andpewter

Rumbler bells madę from white metal, which, where analysed, has proved to be tin, with one exception which is pewter, show a great yariety of style, and are generally morę complete than those madę from copper alloy. This is because they were madę from fewer components and did not require soldering, except for one form, which copied those in brass. The earliest type, which is restricted to deposits of the 13th century (ceramic phase 7 and early phase 9), was cast in the form of an open beli, with the loop included. The outside was decorated with bands of opposed hatching, which radiate from four sides of the loop down to the tip of each tab or ‘petal’ (no. 1668, fig 221). Two of the four bells were also decorated with a circle (no. 1670, fig 221), or circle and dot (no. 1669) on the comers between the petals. To enclose the pea, which was also madę of pure tin and cast in a mould, the four petals were pushed inwards to meet at a point below the loop.

221 Bells (1:1)