408 (12)

381

Cosmetic Sets

An altemative method was to cut a longer and narrower strip of sheeting. Both ends were ham-mered to form the arms of the tweezers (fig 252). Next the strip was folded double so that it formed a loop at one end which could be used as im earscoop and, in addition, would have enabled the implement to be suspended from a ring or cord. Below the loop the sheeting was soldered on the inside, leaving the lower part open to form the tweezer arms, and immediately above the divide a reinforcement band was soldered (no. 1775, fig 253). An implement of similar form from North-ampton appears not to have been soldered along its shank (Oakley 1979, fig 110 no. 74).

A bronze pair of tweezers and earscoop from an early 13th-century deposit (ceramic phase 7) in London also was not soldered after the sheeting had been folded and, instead of adding a reinforcement band, the shank was twisted in a Z-direction (no. 1774, fig 253). A similar cosmetic tool with a fluted shank was recovered from Waterbeach Abbey, Cambridgeshire (Cra’ster 1966, 82-3 fig 4b).

Double-ended tweezers and earscoops were also madę from bonę, which demanded greater skill to produce, although they apparently copied metal forms. A pair of bonę tweezers and earscoop recovered from a late 14th-century deposit (ceramic phase 11) is decorated with lathe-turned bands of grooves, which were possibly inspired by reinforcement bands (no. 1777, fig 253). Its form is similar to others from London (eg Guild-hall Museum Catalogue 1908, 122 no. 48 pl LII no. 4). A morę unusual pair of bonę tweezers and earscoop from 14th-century London (ceramic phase 9) has a fluted shank and a ring-and-dot pattem stamped along the arms of the tweezers (no. 1776 fig 253; Henig 1974, 198 no. 188 fig 40).

Type I - madę from a piece of sheeting with a seam soldered along one side between the scoop and a tweezer arm; the other arm was formed by cutting a slit in the sheeting. The scoop is orientated at 90° to the arms of the tweezers. 1770 SWA81 acc. no. 427 (context 2018) ceramic phase 9

Copper alloy; perforated earscoop; one tweezer arm broken off and the end of the remaining arm angled inwards, decorated on the outside with two lines of zigzags; 1 66mm.

1771    SWA81 428 (2018) 9

Copper alloy; one tweezer arm broken off and the end of the remaining arm angled inwards; a pattem of transverse grooves are engraved across the seam linę;

1 69mm.

1772    BWB83    3551    (355)    11    fig 253

Brass (AML); as preceding; 1 69mm.

1773    BWB83    2675    (334)    11    fig 253

Brass (AML); the ends of the tweezer arms are angled inwards and bevelled on the inside; on the outside the arms are decorated with lines of opposed, punched triangles; a reinforcement band of gunmetal (AML) soldered round mid shank is decorated with diagonal grooves; 1 82mm.

Type II - madę in one piece from sheet metal folded double with a loop forming an earscoop at one end and widening out into two tweezer arms at the other.

1774    SWA81 acc. no. 2504 (context 2257) ceramic phase 7 fig 253

Bronze (AML); upper part of shank fluted with a Z-twist; tweezer arms angled inwards and very worn;

1 101 mm.

1775    SWA81 3379 (2139) 9 fig 253 Copper (AML); one tweezer arm broken and the other slightly damaged; shank soldered below loop and re-inforced with a band also soldered in place; tweezer arms angled inwards; 1 81mm.

Type III - madę in one piece from animal bonę (bonę identified by James Rackham).

1776    CUS73 acc. no. 533 (context V,8) ceramic phase 9 fig 253

Cattle-sized shaft of longbone; one tweezer arm broken off; the remaining arm is gently bevelled on the outside and saw marks are visible on the inside. Both arms are stamped with ring-and-dot decoration. Spatu-late scoop with fluted shank below which is a series of transverse ridges and grooves; highly polished surface; 1 90mm; (Henig 1974, 198 no. 188 fig 40; MacGregor 1985, 100 fig 57c).

1777    BWB83 2677 (334) 11 fig 253 Cattle-sized shaft of longbone; highly polished; tweezer arms gently bevelled on the outside; spatulate scoop; shank decorated with three bands of four grooves; 1 94mm.