Domed thimbles

Thimble
with spiral punches
TH01

Object: Thimble
Culture: Medieval. 15th century
Country of Origin: England
Material: Brass
Size: 23mm base diameter
Weight: 3.58 grams

Notes: The dimples are rectangular and machine punched in a spiral starting at the baseline and over the top. There is one etched groove at the base of the thimble.

Very fine condition.

Beehive thimble
with round dimples
TH02

Object: Beehive thimble
Culture: Medieval
Area of Origin: East Anglia, England
Material:
Size: 22mm base diameter
Weight: 5.69 grams

Notes: Thimble constructed in the beehive style. The even depth of the dimples suggests possibly machine punched circular dimples around the side and top.

Beehive thimble
with irregular dimples
TH03

Object: Thimble
Culture: Medieval. 14th-15th century
Country of Origin: England
Material: Brass
Size: 18mm base diameter
Weight: 4.91 grams

Notes: Thimble is beehive shaped with a domed top and a wide undorated band at the bottom. Hand punched irregular dimples. It is of cast construction.

Beehive thimble
with large dimples
TH04

Object: Thimble
Culture: Medieval. 14th century
Country of Origin: England
Material: Brass
Size: 25mm diameter
Weight: 16.19 grams

Notes: This is an extremely sturdy thimble with hand drilled dimples. Thick walls. There is a small lip at the base and a deep groove.

The size of the dimples suggest a heavy duty needle was used with this thimble, and would be suitable for occupations such as leatherwork or sailmaking etc.

Beehive thimble
with tiny dimples
TH05

Object: Thimble
Culture: Medieval. 14th century
Country of Origin: England
Material: brass
Size: 22mm base diameter
Weight: 3.59 grams

Notes: This thimble has very small dimples, suggesting that the needle used with is was extremely thin and light weight. It has relatively even hand drilled dimples and an etched groove around the bottom circumference. Very worn.

The large diameter suggests that it was used by a man as even worn on a woman's thumb, the thimble is loose.

Statutes at the end of the 13th century lists 94 embroiderers in Paris, 15 of whom were men. This type of thimble would have been suitable for this use.

Domed thimble
with raised apex
TH06

Object: Thimble
Culture: Medieval. 14th century
Area of Origin: Norfolk, England
Material: brass
Size: 18mm base diameter
Weight: 3.94 grams

Notes: Thimble has uneven hand punched dimples around the walls and a plain raised central apex. There is a single etched groove around the base. Thimble is complete and of cast manufacture.

Domed thimble
with flat apex
TH07

Object: Thimble
Culture: Medieval. 14th-15th century
Country of Origin: England
Material: brass
Size: 18mm base diameter
Weight: 4.28 grams

Notes: Flat apex with even dimples. The base of the thimble has a singular line several millimetres from the base. Thimble is complete save for a small section at the base of the rim. This thimble is of cast construction.

Thimble
with flat top
TH08

Object: Thimble
Culture: Medieval. 15th century
Area of Origin: Buckingshire, England
Material: bronze
Size: 18mm diameter, 22mm high
Weight: 4.57 grams

Notes: Thimble has evenly hand punched dimples around the walls and an almost flat central apex. There is a single etched groove around the base. Thimble is complete and of cast manufacture.

Found in the Milton Veynes area of Buckinghamshire, UK.

Thimble
beehive shaped
TH09

Object: Thimble
Culture: Medieval. 14th century
Area of Origin: Buckingshire, England
Material: bronze
Size: 12mm diameter
Weight: 6.12 grams

Notes: Thimble has uneven hand punched dimples around the walls and a raised central apex. There is a single etched groove around the base. Thimble is complete and of cast manufacture. Hand cast bronze thimble with a singular line above the bottom edge. The punched holes are hand drilled and randomly placed.

Found in the Milton Veynes area of Buckinghamshire, UK

Thimble
with slightly domed top
TH11

Object: Thimble
Culture: Medieval. 14th-15th century
Area of Origin: Buckingshire, England
Material: bronze
Size: 18mm diameter x 20mm high
Weight: 5.67 grams

Notes: Thimble has even hand punched dimples around the walls and a flat central apex. There is a single, faint etched groove around the base. Thimble is complete and of cast manufacture.

Found in the Milton Veynes area of Buckinghamshire, UK

Thimble
with domed top
TH12

Object: Thimble
Culture: Medieval. 14th-15th century
Area of Origin: Buckingshire, England
Material: bronze
Size: 20mm diameter, 22mm high
Weight: 10.34 grams

Notes: Thimble has uneven, hand punched dimples which are round in shape around the walls and a plain raised central apex. Thimble is complete and of cast manufacture.

Found in the Milton Veynes area of Buckinghamshire, UK

Ring thimbles

Ring thimble
with punched holes
RTH08

Object: Ring thinble
Culture: Medieval
Area of Origin: UK
Material:
Size: 20mm x 20mm
Weight: 4.61 grams

Notes: Ring thimble with a singluar groove both at the top and base. A series of dimples are punched poorly into the wall. The thimble is complete with minor damage at the base. Metal detecting find from England.

Ring thimble
with square dimples
RTH02

Object: Ring thimble
Culture: Medieval
Area of Origin: UK
Material:
Size: 20mm diameter
Weight: 5.35 grams

Notes: Ring thimble with four and a half rows of medium sized, square dimples. The dimples are punched in a spiral. The base of the thimble is undecorated.

Thimble is complete and undamaged.

Ring Thimble
with small dimples
RTH03

Object: Ring thimble
Culture: Medieval. 14th century
Area of Origin: near Wrexham, UK.
Material:
Size: 16mm diameter, 15mm high
Weight: 5.56 grams

Notes: Thimble is sheet metal construction and has hand punched dimples which are roughly in lines vertically instead of the usual horizontally, and a single, uneven engraved groove below the top rim and above the bottom rim.

Metal detecting find, near Wrexham..

Ring Thimble
with round dimples
RTH04

Object: Thimble
Culture: Medieval. 14th-15th century
Area of Origin: Buckingshire, England
Material: bronze
Size: 18mm diameter, 10mm high
Weight: 2.78 grams

Notes: Thimble is constructed from extremely thin sheet bronze, with four rows of circular punches which commences at the bottom rim and spirals upwards. There are no other grooves or decorations above or below the top and bottom rims.

Found in the Milton Veynes area of Buckinghamshire, UK.

Ring Thimble
with triangular dimples
RTH05

Object: Thimble
Culture: Medieval. 14th-15th century
Area of Origin: Buckingshire, England
Material: bronze
Size: 18mm diameter, 10mm high
Weight: 3.8 grams

Notes: Constructed with sheet bronze, with four rows of triangular punches. There are no other grooves or decorations above or below the top and bottom rims.

Found in the Milton Veynes area of Buckinghamshire, UK

Ring Thimble
with round dimples
RTH06

Object: Ring thimble
Culture: Medieval. 15th century
Area of Origin: Blyth near Wirksop, England
Material:
Size: 17mm diameter
Weight: 3.69 grams

Notes: Thimble is of sheet metal construction.
Hand drilled dimples irregularly spaced over the surface with no decorative marks.

Metal detecting find.

Ring Thimble
with round dimples
RTH07

Object: Ring thimble
Culture: Medieval. 15th century
Area of Origin: Blyth, England
Material:
Size: 18mm diameter, 15mm high
Weight: 4.69 grams

Notes: Post medieval thimble. Four rows of drilled dimples over the surface with no decorative marks.

Metal detecting find found in Blyth near Wirksop.