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Description: | A cast copper alloy Anglo-Saxon cruciform brooch with zoomorphic foot that is complete with the exception of the iron pin, which is missing due to old breaks. The brooch has a very small rectangular headplate with faceted edges and an incised groove at the point where it joins the bow. Integrally cast knobs project from the top and sides of the headplate. These are semi-cylindrical with flat backs and globular terminals that taper before expanding again to a double moulded collar where they join the headplate. The integral bow is curved and D-shaped in section with a flat back and domed front face. Where it joins the headplate there is a flattened rectangular panel with triangular notches to each side and an incised groove at its lower edge. Beneath the panel the bow is faceted with a flattened central ridge that has a shallow central groove. At the base of the bow is a second flattened panel similar to that at the top, with incised grooves at the join with the bow and with the foot. The join between the lower plate and the bow also has a deep incision to one side that is probably the result of post-depositional damage. The foot of the brooch has a flat back with domed and moulded front face giving a semi-circular section. At its top is a flat rectangular panel with two incised transverse grooves at their base. Beneath this the foot is faceted above a moulded collar that has transverse ridges with central incised grooves at top and bottom. Beneath the collar is a zoomorphic terminal in the form of an elongated horse's head with prominent, projecting circular eyes, a central ridge for the snout, and semi-circular moulding at the base of the foot representing the nostrils.The back face of the brooch is flat and has no evidence for moulded decoration. On the back of the headplate is a central integral semi-circular lug through which is affixed the remains of the iron spring and pin, most of which is now missing due to old breaks. Where the foot begins at the base of the bow is an integral catchplate that is sub-rectangular in shape and missing its folded upper edge due to old breaks. This extends approximately half way down the foot. The brooch has traces of an added white metal on front and back faces, suggesting that the whole brooch may have originally had an added white metal coating. The brooch measures 69.97mm in length, 26.23mm in width, 4.07mm in thickness (at bow), and weighs 17.14g. This brooch is slightly unusual for an Anglo-Saxon cruciform brooch due to the extremely small size of the headplate. Parallels with similarly small headplates are noted from Suffolk (for example West, 1998: nos. 16.5 and 54.9), and a group of cruciform brooches from Lakenheath, Suffolk share many characteristics in common with the current example in terms of form and decoration (West, 1998: fig. 105). This example is of probable 5th-6th century AD date.
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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