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"Stone mould"

Medieval stone mould
Medieval stone moulds are well represented in the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in Coventry with over 169 examples. The moulds from Coventry are from a highly calcareous mudstone of Jurassic type. Such stone comes from Southam, Long Itchington and Harbury, all less than 15 miles from Coventry. There must have been a well organised trade in raw material, production and export sales of the finished product but despite this no documentary evidence has been preserved of the industry. The trade must be between user and supplier directly. Excavations at Bayley Lane in 1988 produced 69 stone moulds so must have been one of the production centres in Coventry.

Some moulds were used as a onece use mould for objects made from precious metals for an elete clientele but most were for more mundane objects such as belt buckles and were used until they were broken or cracked. Moulds changed along with fashion which alows them to be dated quite accuratly.

((reflist)) The Excavations at Broadgate East, Coventry 1974-5 by Margaret Rylatt and Mike Stokes ISBN 1-85316-004-0