Purse, purse frame

Purse frame (London Museum Type B2), incomplete. The pendent frames are missing. It has a spherical central boss and terminals. There are two spheres, one unfixed, on either side of a central boss, which are not part of the central loop. The bottom of the loop is ornamented with two ridges. The metal frame is usually the only surviving part of a medieval purse. The leather or textile purse itself has usually disappeared, but monumental brasses and manuscript illustrations show how the parts fitted together and were attached to the owner's belt.