383 (13)

356

Dress Accessońes

early 14th century (Cook et al. 1969, 104 nos. L15-17). A further English example was reco-vered from a site in Shrewsbury (Shropshire) (Mould forthcoming).

1701    BC72 3879 (150) 11 fig 232

Purse madę from six pieces of leather. The front flap has a concave lower edge and is partly backed with two pieces of leather; stitch holes round the edge of the flap indicate that it was lined originally. The front of the flap is decorated with seven circular and rectangular tin-coated iron mounts (see nos. 894 & 1058 for further details). At some time the front was cut down the centre and stitched. The other two pieces of leather, which were originally stitched together, formed the actual Container. The inside piece has two pairs of thong slots through which a drawstring would have passed. The two parts of the purse were stitched together with the seam worn behind the belt; and there are additional stitch holes for sewing the purse to the belt. Grain/flesh stitch holes. Max h llOmm; max w lOOmm.

1702    TL74 451 and 650 (414) 11 fig 233 Incomplete; four pieces of leather. Two, which are from the front of the purse, are of a similar shape with a concave lower edge; there are two awl holes in the top comer of the inner piece; grain/flesh stitch holes along the sideseam of the latter piece and edge/flesh stitch holes in the outside piece. The top edge of the outside piece has been cut and riveted to a piece of leather which is now of an irregular shape sińce it was cut up for cobbling, grain/flesh stitch holes close to the bottom edge. A fourth piece of leather is from the back of the front flap and has two slots in the top comer corres-ponding to those on one of the other pieces, grain/flesh stitch holes round the edge of the seam. Max h 118mm; max w 139mm.

1703    TL74    629    (414)    11    fig 234

Calfskin (AML). Back of purse with inward-sloping sides; grain/flesh stitch holes along sideseam. Close to the foldline of the flap are three rows of slots, the upper row cut vertically and the others horizontally. Surviving h 118mm; w 142mm.

1704    TL74    306    (414)    11    fig 234

Leather too worn for species to be identified (AML). Front of purse with inward-sloping slides; grain/flesh stitch holes along sideseam; and an impression of a

circular metal fastening. Surviving h llOmm; w 164mm.

1705    TL74 426 (415) 11 fig 235 Deerskin (AML). Front of purse cut to a semi-circular pattem. A horizontal slit was cut 12-13mm below the top edge and below this are four pairs of slots; it is decorated with stitching in the form of two circular panels with two undulating lines on each side of the slit. Grain/flesh stitch holes round sideseam, 5-9mm apart. h 116mm; w 201mm; w of slit 170mm.

1706    BWB83 311 (unstratified) fig 236 Calfskin (AML). Front and part of back of purse. Front as preceding except the slit was cut 15mm-17mm below the top edge and there are only two pairs of slots below the horizontal slit. The stitching on the front is in the form of two quadrants with paired lines on each side of the slit. The back piece is cut higher than the front and has a V-shaped slit cut to one side with stitching holes along each edge. h llOmm; w 185mm; w of slit 140mm.

Purse frame

A purse frame madę from brass was recovered from a 14th-century deposit (ceramic phase 10-11, no. 1707, fig 237). It was probably originally semi-circular, although neither end is preserved. There is nothing to indicate how the Container was attached, presumably it was oversewn to the frame in some manner, and a bag madę from chamois leather with an elaborate semi-circular frame, which is preserved in Vienna, offers some guidance (Waterer 1968, pl 62). Another example of a purse frame from a 14th-century deposit has been excavated at Netherton, Hampshire Uohn Cherry pers. comm.). Manuscript illuminations show gamebags, which appear to have circular frames and were fastened with drawstrings, from the first half of the 14th century (fig 225) and it can be inferred that this was the purpose for which most purses with metal frames were used at this period.

1707    BC72 acc. no. 2960 (context 118) ceramic phase 10-11 fig 237

Part of a brass (AML) purse frame, ? originally semi-circular, with a rotating suspension loop cast in two pieces and rove soldered on. The loop is decorated with three knops. Estimated intemal d lOOmm.