Four Petal Flower Stud

The four petal flower stud is copied from a pair of pewter mounts used as rivets on an archer’s bracer discovered by a mudlarker in London on February 18, 2023. The bracer is similar in form and decoration to one found in the wreck of the Mary Rose, which sank in 1545. It has been dated to the first half of the 16^th century. As of March 19, 2023 the find has been properly reported and is in the hands of conservators at the Museum of London. The only publicly available images at this time are from news stories about the discovery or Twitter. It does not yet appear in the Portable Antiquities Scheme database.

Mac made this stud at the request of a friend who is interested in reproducing the bracer. It can be used as well on belts or purses or for any other fancy item you would embellish with mounts. It is a handsome small decoration made more lively by the cross hatched decoration in the center.

We routinely attach studs on belts by peening them up without washers. This is a practice found on authentic straps and it works well in most leathers. When studs are used as rivets though – as on this bracer, where they attached a now lost strap  – they need a washer (rove) on the back of the piece to peen them up against. They also need washers if they are put in fabric or other soft materials that will not hold the hammered dome on the back. Mac has simultaneously made washers with square holes to take the stem (pin) of this rivet, which will be easier to use than washers with round holes that have to be forced open. We will be selling them both with and without washers.

Handsome on a belt – next level on your early 16th-century archer’s bracer!