An incomplete Medieval copper alloy purse bar dating from c. AD 1475 to 1550. The purse bar is made up of a horizontal, circular cross sectioned bar ether side of a square block in the centre. The arms of the bar emerge from a pair of devolved gripping animal heads which abut the central block. One end of this bar has been broken away by an old break just after this decoration. The more complete side of the bar has an integral attachment plate on the underside which has two attachment holes. These holes were for attaching the fabric part of the purse to the bar. The bar then narrows and would have had a cylindrical terminal, but this has been lost by an old break. The arm has decorative criss-cross grooves, of a single strand latice which were probably filled with niello. However, none is present. The decoration extends onto the center block in the form of a W on one side and XX on the other. There is a circular perforation in the centre of the block through where a separate bar would have fitted but this is now missing. The purse bar is of Ward Perkins Type A1 (1940: 164-165), dated c. 1475-c. 1550.

Class: Ward Perkins Type A1

An incomplete Medieval copper alloy purse bar dating from c. AD 1475 to 1550. The purse bar is made up of a horizontal, circular cross sectioned bar terminating in a devolved gripping animal head which terminates in an old break before it reaches the central block. There is an integral attachment plate on the underside which has two attachment holes. These holes were for attaching the fabric part of the purse to the bar. The bar then narrows to a a cylindrical terminal. The arm has decorative criss-cross grooves, of a double strand latice which were probably filled with niello. However, none is present. The purse bar is of Ward Perkins Type A1 (1940: 164-165), dated c. 1475-c. 1550.

Class: Ward Perkins Type A1

A damaged and worn arm of a cast copper alloy purse bar or purse frame dating from the early post-medieval period, circa AD 1550-1650.

Description: The arm survives as half the rotating circular loop and the top of the right arm. The arms curves downards which would have formed the upper part of a flat frame and is decorated with cast floral/spiral decoration cast in counter-relief creating an recessed channels. These channels may have contained enamel or more likely Niello seen on many of the decorated purse bars of the period. The reverse of the arm is entirely undecorated. The suspension loop has snapped across the middle of its length and appears to show some wear around where it has broken which may indicated preferential wear which lead to it breaking. The purse bar has an even dark green patina typical of patinated copper-alloy.

Discussion: The flat angled arms of this purse bar fragment are consistent with Williams (2012, 4) Class H purse bar, consistent with Late 16th to Early 17th Century dating. This purse bar variant is one of several previously unrecognised by those originally classified by Ward-Perkins in his Medieval catalogue of the Museum of London, published in 1940.There are several examples recorded on the PAS database including: WMID-265DD3, which was discovered in Staffordshire, SUR-4E8851 discovered in Northamptonshire also has similar cast foliate decoration. A complete example with an oval loop handle is recorded from Buckinghamshire (BUC-82D836) and Worcestershire (WMID-45BF3E).

Class: Williams Class H

An incomplete copper alloy purse bar dating to the early Post-Medieval period, dating circa AD 1500 - AD 1550. The purse bar surives only as the horizontal bar and arms which formed the upper part of the frame. The remainder of the frame is now missing. The now missing suspension loop would have passed through the rectangular shaped central block. The arms are broadly circular eminating from either side of the block in cross section, they each have a circular collar at the terminal end, proceeding the terminal knop. The central block is heavily worn and the decoration is therefore uncertain. One side may have adecorative letter T on it and the other possibly four pelta shaped poiunted ovals aligned as a four petalled flower.

Class: Williams class C1