Silver gilt dress hook. Found at Martyr Worthy, Itchen Valley. 16th century date. Cast on one plane with trapezoidal bar and a large rosette and two projecting fleur-de-lis in the centre. The shaft leading to the hook is cast with baluster ornament surmounted by a scallop shell. The gilding appears to be restricted to the decorative elements only. The recurving hook is soldered to the reverse of the scallop shell in the centre of the fitting.
Silver-gilt dress hook
Tudor, 16th century AD
Found by a metal detectorist at Martyr Worthy, Itchen Valley, Hampshire in 2000
This highly decorative object features a large rosette and two fleur-de-lis at the centre, and a scallop shell on the shaft leading to the hook. The decorative elements have been gilded. The hook is soldered to the reverse of the scallop shell in the centre of the fitting. Dress hooks were used in Tudor England to secure or close items of dress. Their use was probably restricted to female costume, so presumably this example belonged to a well-dressed wealthy woman.
