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Description: | Late Roman copper alloy crossbow brooch, complete except for a missing knop from the knob at one of the wings. It has a (slightly wonky) wingspan of 45mm (including missing knop, probably 46mm). The wings are flat and rectangular in section, only they lie flat horizontally as opposed to vertically. In shape, they have a straight but rounded edge to the reverse (pin side) of the brooch. To the front (bow side) the wings curve outwards in a backwards C-shape. Crowning the wings at the centre and edge of the backwards C is a knob, elevated c.3mm and bi-conical in shape. It is topped with a circular 1mm diameter knop. In total, the knob stands 10.5mm high. It is 9.5mm in diameter. At either end of the wings (which are 2mm thick) is a collar and knob, the same as that just described. However, the knops at the ends of the knob (one of which has broken) are actually the ends of the axis bar, around which the pin is fixed. To the front (bow side) there is an extra decorative moulding on the wings beside the collar. Behind the central knob there is a bump, presumably corrosion from the pin. On the underside of the wings, beneath the knob, is a 3.5mm diameter circular area in a darker colour, and presumably the rivet that attaches it. To the front of the brooch, below the central knob and at the front of the wings, the bow extends in a C-shape, arching 20mm tall over a length of 30mm. Either side of the bow at the wings is a triangular moulding and corresponding groove. The bow is basically D-shaped in section but the curve is faceted, into three, the middle section being flat and facing outward. This face is worn, but apparantly decorated with a groove flanking each edge and between diagonal lines running from the top to the collar at the bottom. It is 6mm thick. The other two faces are plain. The collar at the base of the bow is angular (following the lines of the facets) and 1-2mm wide. The bow continues another 5mm beyond it, to where it joins the foot at right angles to the bow. The foot is basically semi-circular in section and triangular in shape - to its reverse the catchplate curves upwards from one side and curves downwards again to the other, but not joining, leaving a gap for the pin. The foot is 29mm in length and decorated belwo the join with the bow. For a brooch of such fine craftsmanship however, the decoration is rather crude. Vertically an incised line runs down the centre. Roughly half way down this lines vears to one side and another appears, creating a 2mm wide area. Either side of the first and both lines are five pairs of punched ring-and-dots. To the reverse, the catchplate is 2mm thick at the end of the foot. This widens to 7mm at the end where it joins the bow (it is also hollow). Inside the catch, there are traces of a white/ light blue residue. The pin is complete and 38mm long. The shank narrows, and the opint is unmeasurable inside the catchplate (the top of the pin has corroded in place) but the diameter ranges from 2mm at the wings to just above 1mm above the catchplate. 65.85mm long. 4th century. Cf examples from Lankhills, Winchester - Clarke 1979 Fig.32, especially no.74 for similar bow and foot decoration, wing alignment and trinagular shaped catchplate. | Format: | text/html | License: | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ | Publisher: | The Portable Antiquities Scheme | Rights holder: | The Portable Antiquities Scheme | Subjects: | archaeology | Temporal: | 301
400 | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Katie Hinds | Identifier: | http://www.finds.org.uk/database/artefac... | Language: | en-GB | Format: | text/html | Go to resource |
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