Thames Mudlarking by Jason Sandy

Author:Jason Sandy
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781784424336
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2020-10-06T00:00:00+00:00

Fig 6.10: A selection of pins found in the Thames. (Nick Stevens)

Several years ago, on the site where the Tudor Palace of Placentia once stood along the river in Greenwich, numerous highly decorated Tudor gold artefacts were found by mudlarks (see image on here). The tiny gold pieces were produced in the early sixteenth century. They could have been accidentally lost in the river as wealthy royals and aristocrats were getting in and out of boats on their way to the palace. The gold pieces could have been attached to fabulous Tudor garments or hats, which could have fallen into the Thames. Over the centuries, the fabric disintegrated, but the precious gold pieces have been perfectly preserved by the Thames mud. Although we will never know the exact circumstances of their loss, the delicate gold objects provide a fascinating insight into the incredible craftsmanship of Tudor goldsmiths.

Mudlarks have also found a wide variety of brass clothes hooks, which became fashionable in Britain during the sixteenth century. The fasteners were used for a variety of purposes, mainly to hold clothing in place. Tudor women often wore a large neck scarf, and hook fasteners were used to secure the scarf to the garment below. They were also used in pairs to keep a woman’s long dress out of the dirt as she walked through the streets. The brass fasteners were beautifully decorated with openwork patterns, floral designs, abstract geometrical motifs, religious symbols, hearts, animals and faces (Fig 6.11).

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