Clothing hooks and eye fasteners were a popular decorative accessory during the Medieval and Tudor period. The function of the fasteners was to hold together garments, to drape up skirts or to simply be used for decorative purposes. They commonly operated in matching pairs, with a clear association to feminine clothing. Hooks would prevent skirts from getting dirty when outside or were used to display rich fabrics from underneath. These beautiful accessories were also used to fasten collars and gowns without disrupting the patterns featured on the clothing. The materials used also demonstrated wealth, items made from gold, silver, much like this one, copper and gilded metals were worn by those of the upper class and nobility.
To discover more on ancient metalwork, please see our relevant blog post: Decorative Metalwork Techniques
