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Description: | An incomplete cast copper alloy gilded button brooch (Avent & Evison class Ai) of Early-Medieval (Anglo-Saxon) date (c. AD 450 - c. AD 550). Maximum diameter: 18.1mm and 6.1mm thick. Weight: 2.91g.The majority of the rim is missing due to old abraded breaks. The pin is also missing. When complete, the brooch would have been circular in plan with an upwards flaring saucer-like rim. At the centre of the surviving part of the brooch is a moulded (chip-carved) anthropomorphic forward facing mask which has poorly defined features due to corrosion. It has a pointed element at the top that may represent a 'helmet' (or possibly hair). The eye brows are curved and the eye-rings are sub-triangular. The eyes are in the form of rounded pellets (now corroded). The nose is long and sub-triangular in plan and it widens towards the nostrils. The mouth is lentoid-shaped, although, due to corrosion, the detail has been obliterated. The cheeks are full and are sub-oval in plan. There is no evidence for punched decoration on the front of the brooch. However, punching may have existed prior to the brooch becoming damaged due to corrosion. The rear face of the brooch is slightly convex, except for the pin lug and catch-plate. The perforated pin-lug is D-shaped as viewed from the side and has a deposit of iron corrosion at each side which probably indicates that the pin/spring was composed of iron. The complete catch-plate is also D-shaped when viewed from the side. With the top of the mask in the 12 o'clock position, the pin lug and catch-plate lie on a 3 o'clock/9 o'clock alignment. The front and rear faces are corroded and the front has traces of gilding. There is no evidence for melting or burning.This brooch can be classified as an Avent & Evison class Ai (Avent, R. and Evison, V. 1982. Journal of the Society of Antiquaries. 'Anglo Saxon Button Brooches ' 78-80). It closely resembles one from Mucking, Essex (Suzuki, S. 2008. 'Anglo-Saxon Button Brooches: Typology, Genealogy, Chronology: 10 (Anglo-Saxon Studies)'. Mucking A1.2; pl. 24). Button brooches are distinguished by their small size and by the anthropomorphic face-masks which they feature. They may have been used in different ways as dress fasteners. It is thought that they may have been used singly rather than in pairs like the similar but larger saucer brooches. Button brooches are found throughout much of southern England and date between the later fifth and mid-sixth centuries.
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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