Post Medieval Sword Scabbard Chape 15th-16th Century

Description

Header: Post Medieval Copper Alloy Sword Scabbard Chape, 15th-16th Century

Material: Copper alloy

Period: Post medieval

Date: 15th-16th century

Origin: Found Cambridgeshire, possibly European manufacture

Description: This tongue-shaped chape is cast with front and rear plates, the front with cross shaped hole, three fleur de lis to top but one has broken away in use. The reverse has two holes for attachment to the scabbard.

Condition: Fine, one fleur delis was broken in use.

Size and Weight: 43mm x 31mm, 9.54g

Features and Provenance: Found Little Wilbraham, Cambridgeshire, recorded with PAS with unique No: SF-0356C0, from a museum collection thereafter.

The chape is one of the most enduring (literally) and evocative (historically speaking) comp[onent of a sword. It was often made of metal, being the hardest material known, and formed a protected end to the sword scabbard where it endured repeated inpact. The word chape arose from the Latin for tip, the ‘Cappa,’ and forms the protected bottom of the scabbard on either a sword or dagger. The scabbard itself was usually made from leather, therefore the first to deteriorate in the ground along with the iron sword itself; the chapes are therefore very often all that is left to tell a tale of battle at a time of sword to sword combat.

Condition Summary. This varies with the age of the artefact and there are grades between

Extremely Fine (EF). Very slight traces of wear. all parts of pattern etc present, visible and clear

Very Fine (VF). Some signs of wear on the higher parts of the relief, all parts of pattern etc present, but may be worn

Fine (F). Wear on the artefact and parts of item and pattern etc may be missing or not visible