Clasp
1750-1850 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This clasp was described as Norwegian, from the 17th century, when it was acquired in 1911. The design dates from the late Middle Ages, but a silversmith working at that time would have cast it. This clasp is made from stamped sheet silver and is therefore more likely to date from the 18th or 19th century. Clasps like this continued in use with traditional dress in many places in Norway until the 19th century. It may have been made in Bergen, as this technique was common among Bergen silversmiths in the 19th century. It is almost certainly Norwegian, as it features St Olav, the patron saint of Norway, over the hook.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Silver gilt |
| Brief description | Two-part silver-gilt clasp with a figure of St. Olav over the central hook, Norway, 1750-1850. |
| Physical description | Two-part silver-gilt clasp, with the figure of a man over the central hook. Each part consists of a disc of sheet silver with a serrated rim outside a circle of punched domes. There is a raised openwork motif of fleurs de lys over the centre of the disc. There is a strip of silver soldered across the back of each part, one ending in a loop, and the other in a hook. On the front of the hook is the figure of a king, in late medieval armour, standing over a defeated enemy. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This clasp was described as Norwegian, from the 17th century, when it was acquired in 1911. The design dates from the late Middle Ages, but a silversmith working at that time would have cast it. This clasp is made from stamped sheet silver and is therefore more likely to date from the 18th or 19th century. Clasps like this continued in use with traditional dress in many places in Norway until the 19th century. It may have been made in Bergen, as this technique was common among Bergen silversmiths in the 19th century. It is almost certainly Norwegian, as it features St Olav, the patron saint of Norway, over the hook. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.498&A-1911 |
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| Record created | November 1, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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