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Description: | Incomplete copper alloy hinged bow and fantail brooch (43-200AD). The wings are complete with a rolled complete casing holding the axis bar for the hinged pin. The pin is incomplete and housed within a cut notch between the two rolled cylindrical casings. The axis bar holding the pin is made from iron. The pin itself has a stepped profile; in cross section it is sub-rectangular. From the top / head of the brooch a small head loop extends. This loop is heavily worn (by wear / use abrasion rather than plough damage) on the upper left hand edge. The bow head is narrow with a graceful slightly angular profile. The bow is D shaped in cross section. The bow tapers to a mid point where it flares with a centrally positioned circular boss from which the fantail extends. The fantail is regular and sub-triangular in profile. On the reverse of the tail a single rib extends to form a sub-triangular catch plate whose edge is rolled to from a U-shaped pin rest. The front face of the brooch is decorated with both cast and enameled designs. The reverse is plain and undecorated. The decoration on the font face can be split into several zones. The first enameled area is the circular boss which has a central circular red enamel inlay which is contained by a concentric ring of copper alloy, which is enclosed by a further enamel inlaid ring (possible blue in colour) which is contained by a raised outer ridge. This ridge has four cast lobes evenly spaced. Below this boss is the fantail which is decorated with both cast and enamel designs. The upper part of the fan has a series of horizontal cast bars below which extends a vertical geometric enamel decorated panel. This panel has three diamond shaped (square shapes turned by 45°) recessed panels which were probably filled with a blue coloured enamel (which has since decayed). The area around these diamond shaped panels has been filled with red coloured enamel (which forms small triangular panels). The outer edges of the fantail have been decorated with an inset cast border. The surface of the wings of the brooch have also been decorated with vertical cast bars, these are positioned on the outer edges of the wings. The brooch is a mid green colour with an even but abraded patina. Where abrasion has occurred it is most evident on the external faces and edges of the brooch. Here a light green active corrosion is present. Movement in the plough soil has also distorted the profile of the brooch, twisting it slightly. Similar brooches can be seen in Hattatt's Visual Catalogue of Roman brooches, page 315. The brooch measures: 39.9mm length, 13.6mm width (across wings), 12.8mm width across base of the fantail, is 2.8mm thick across the bow and 8.7mm thick across the base of the fantail (including the catchplate). The brooch weighs 5.93 grams.
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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