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Description: | An incomplete cast copper alloy enamelled flat bird brooch, dating from the 2nd/ 3rd century AD (length: 34mm; width: 20mm; thickness: 6mm; weight: 4.39g). The bird faces to the right with a pointed beak and a large but shallow indentation for the eye, which rises upwards slightly to probably represent the pupil in the eye. There appears to be small traces of red enamel in the eye indentation. The neck of the bird curls and expands in width to form a wider body where there are eight cells present (these lead down to the bottom of the brooch), five of which has small amounts of white enamel in them, while the three central cells have very small traces of blue in them around the edges. The inside edge of the neck of the bird curls inwards below the head, but expands outwards again to a slightly pointed protrusion, which is probably depicting the feet of the bird. Below this protrusion, the edge curves inwards again before expanding outwards to a platform at the bottom of the brooch where the main feathers of the bird are shown. The individual feathers are displays four incised lines running lengthwise down this platform. The edge then curves in and outwards again to taper to a small point, which may be indicating the bird’s tail. From the tail, the outside edge curves back round to the right and the head of the bird. At the back of the brooch, the central lug (present at the bottom of the brooch) of the missing probable spring mechanism remains with a small amount of surrounding iron corrosion which may indicate that the axis bar and possibly the spring mechanism were made out of iron. The catch plate is slightly incomplete but does start to curve round to one side where the now missing pin would have originally been secure. Overall, the brooch is in a worn but fair condition with a dark green patina. A very similar example (possibly representing an eagle) is illustrated in Richard Hattatt’s ‘Iron Age & Roman Brooches’, 1985, pages 172-4, ref no 617, found in Norwich, Norfolk. However, this example has six enamelled cells instead of eight like this Ancaster example. Another similar example is illustrated in Hattatt’s ‘Brooches of Antiquity; 1987, pages 226-229, ref no 1155, found in Kent. This example also has six enamelled cells with red and blue enamel. Hattatt states that these brooches ‘appear to be a native British type, none noted from foreign sources’. He also continues that ‘the head of these birds gives us no firm clue as to their identity’, but possibly an eagle or parrot could be suggested. Hattatt also states that ‘parrots were imported from Africa, both for amusement and as a table delicacy, and must have been known in Britain’. | Subjects: | zoomorphic (bird) | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Johnson, Caroline - Portable Antiquities Scheme | Identifier: | http://www.findsdatabase.org.uk/hms/pas_... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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