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Description: | A Late Saxon gilded copper alloy nummular brooch with broken remains of loop for pin and catchplate on reverse. The front is decorated with what seems to be a facing bust with radiating lines forming a background. The image is rather unusual even bearing in mind the variety of images encountered on these brooches. Facing busts are known on two brooches from Norfolk, one from Wramplingham (Norfolk Historic Environment Record number 33055) and another uncovered during excavations at Bull Close, Norwich (Marsden, A. B. in Norfolk Archaeology, 2008) but both of these are quite different in appearance. The face on the Litcham brooch may be taken to represent Christ, the radiating lines probably being intended as a halo.The small size of the brooch is unusual and does not make dating easy. Typologically, it seems to be quite early; the design is possibly derived from a Series X Danish 'Woden head' type sceatta or perhaps a penny of one of the Archbishops of Canterbury (earlier 9th century). Recent research has shown the Woden head sceattas to run through the 8th century whilst the pennies of the Archbishops of Canterbury with facing portraits continue to the third quarter of the 9th. The brooch's affinities to these types may place it in this period; however, the small size of this specimen, very similar to that of a penny, may argue for a later date. Pennies were used to make brooches in the late 10th and 11th centuries and it may be best to place this example in that era. The facing, Christ-like bust could derive from many media other than coins.Diameter 17mm. Thickness (excluding catchplate and pin lug) 2.5mm.Weight 3.14g.
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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