|
Date: |
|
Description: | Two Early Early-Medieval copper alloy gilt saucer brooches, complete except for a missing pin on the reverse. One has a maximum diameter of c.56mm (the top of the saucer edges), its minimum 46mm (the diameter of the underside). The other (which is slightly damaged around the top edge) is c.55mm and 47mm.
The underside has a catchplate complete with curl, but both curl to the right if the lugs are at the top. On the first, between the lug is an area of corrosion, presumably the remains of the top of the pin and axis bar. The area surrounding also has iron staining and also evidence of bronze corrosion as the surface is not all smooth and shiny, as it is in some places. The second has one lug remaining and iron staining around the top half of the underside of the brooch.
Both brooches stand c.14mm high from top of curl to top of saucer-sides. From the base of the brooch to the top of the saucer-sides it is c.8mm.
The face of the saucer brooch has been chip-carved in the tradition of the 'basketwork' type. A central boss 5mm in diameter is surrounded by two concentric circles from which extend four equidistant isoceles triangles. Between each pair of these are three roughly triangular (some more rectangular) shapes with transverse grooves (circa five on each) to give sixteen radiating strips. Their length is roughly 14mm on the first and 13mm on the second.
These geometric shapes represent face and limbs, cf. Tania Dickinson in Hikuin 2002, p.171 fig.8h (from Long Wittenham, Oxfordshire) and p.174, fig.11a (from Cassington, Oxfordshire): "T and angle shapes are more obviously geometricised versions of full-face heads and bent legs - in essence compacted animals - such as appear on friezes like those in Figure 11a".
The variation in decoration gives a rather 3D effect. The entire inside surface, including the sides of the saucer, are completely covered in a very yellow gilding which is unfortunately now obscured by some bronze corrosion.
The brooches weigh 66.04g and 48.30g, respectively. | 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: | 400
720 | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Katie Hinds | Identifier: | http://www.finds.org.uk/database/artefac... | Language: | en-GB | Format: | text/html | Go to resource |
|
More Like this...
-
brooch
Two Early Early-Medieval copper alloy…
-
BROOCH
Two Early Early-Medieval copper alloy…
-
BROOCH
Incomplete gilded copper alloy Early…
-
BROOCH
Incomplete gilded copper alloy Early…
-
BROOCH
An incomplete copper alloy and…
-
BROOCH
An incomplete cast copper alloy…
-
BROOCH
An almost complete cast copper…
-
BROOCH
An almost complete cast copper…
-
BROOCH
An incomplete cast copper alloy…
-
BROOCH
Incomplete cast copper alloy and…
|