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Description: | An incomplete, gilded cast copper-alloy imitation of a Kentish 'keystone garnet' disc brooch of c. 6th-century date. The brooch has lost its pin and has suffered some removals from its edge.It is the size of an Avent (1975) Class 2 brooch, while bearing the more simple ornament of the smaller Class 1. The central raised setting is a simple circle (Dia.: 8.1mm) (Avent (1975, 81; Fig. 8) Type 1.1), now empty. At the cardinal points are four triangular keystone settings with their points inwards (Avent (1975, 80; Fig. 5, Type 5.1). All four contain fragments of what is probably red glass (or possibly poor quality garnet). Behind, within the settings, is possible criss-cross gold foil, used to help reflect light, although it is difficult to discern. The 'chip-carved' ornament between the keystone settings is formed of a single triangle with rounded central apex with a ring-and-dot within, representing a very simplified Style I animal head. This decoration is similar to that of Class 1 brooches, which have Style I heads only, but the form of the head is closer to those of Avent Class 2 (e.g. Avent 1975, fig. 11, p.84; ref. 7.5), but without the accompanying, adjacent ornament. The whole is found within a raised border, outside of which is inverted Avent Type 15, 'S-shaped' rim decoration (1975, 79; Fig. 4).The plain, flat reverse face features a double perforated pin lug at one end with an abraded catchplate opposite. Iron corrosion concretions survive within the pin lug. These fasteners are not aligned to the keystones (see Image, right). The brooch has corroded to different hues: the reverse is grey, the upper surface green, with reds towards the circumference. Gilding survives within the recesses on the upper surfaces.The decoration on this brooch seems very much to be a mixture of that on the Kentish brooches of Avent's Classes 1 and 2. Further such brooches imitative of Kentish precious metal brooches have been recorded on this database to the west, in Wiltshire - WILT-F561A1, WILT-30B2F5 - with another on the Hampshire/Wiltshire border - WILT-6F2B84.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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