Leaf Cloak Clasp

This handsome cloak clasp is adapted from silver clasps found in the 1870s in the “Pritzwalk Hoard”, a collection of more than 400 pieces of silver and silver gilt jewelry dated to 1392 or shortly thereafter. The hoard included coins (from which the date was established): a small number of ring brooches, finger rings, bracelets, and buttons; and an incredible number of clasps of this form, with a central element and two flanking pieces that were attached to a garment. The design we adapted was represented by a number of smaller clasps; we enlarged the design to the size of the largest of the clasps in the hoard. Pritzwalk is in northeastern German, in the state of Brandenburg.