Little leatherwork survives from the 7th century, so, we must look to metal fittings to help guide the shape and form. The overall shape of this piece is inspired by the Sutton Hoo purse lid and copper-alloy pieces found in near by Ipswich.
The rivets from the Ipswich fittings are of a length that suggests that the were attached to a wooden lid. This purse therefore has a wooden core to the lid, with leather sewn around it, and over leather foundations which allow for the raised sections.
The raised, shield shaped, sections are then hand tooled with decoration taken from a brooch found at Gotland, Sweden, depicting stylised serpents.
The bag itself is hand sewn, using various thicknesses of leather, skived along the seams, and with a split thong stitch to secure the lid to the main bag.
It's then hand dyed to match colours seen in traditional bark tanned leather, and finished with my own blend of beeswax, goose tallow and Neatsfoot oil, giving an authentic waterproof finish.
