This copper alloy dress fitting, most likely from the late 14th or 15th century, is a banded plate. It is constructed from a solid folded sheet of gilded copper alloy, with decorative elements along the top edge. A small hole in the center of the fold indicates that it was designed as a buckle rather than being part of a strap. Additionally, some leather material has been preserved inside the plate.
The decorative pattern on the upper edge features dots at the top and bottom, connected by a row of convex cable ornaments at the end of the fold. The opposite end has a notch, where iron rivets securing the leather within the plate are an integral part of the design, and the end is marked by a convex arch. The field of the plate is adorned with decorative hatching within the ridges.
This dress fitting reflects a period when many individuals could afford to wear such elaborately decorated objects because they were being produced in larger quantities, making them more affordable than in previous times. The surface of the plate was gilded, giving it the appearance of pure gold when originally crafted. It was discovered during excavations in the 1970s by the Archaeology Section of the Winchester Museum Service at Victoria Road in Winchester, Hampshire.