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Description: | Incomplete composite cast and fabricated copper alloy and enamel brooch, with gilding, of later Early Medieval date. Such brooches have been attributed to both Anglo-Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon material culture groups. The brooch is circular in plan and, based on more complete examples, would have had between six and eight small lugs projecting from the outer edge arranged at regularly spaced intervals. In this instance, due to considerable circumferential damage, only one of these lugs survives. The surviving lug is flat and semi-circular in form with a central slightly raised cylindrical knop which is hollow at the top and filled with a bead of white enamel. The semi-circular lugs of this brooch were an integrally cast part of the back plate of the brooch. The decorative enamel centre of the brooch is slightly inset from the edges of the backplate so that there is a plain gilded ring between the lugs and the centre-piece of the brooch. Due to damage it is possible to discern some details of the construction of the brooch with the central roundel, comprised of inlaid enamel cells, separated by strips of copper-alloy, within an outer ring of copper-alloy, all set upon a flat circular disc of copper alloy. This method of enamel decoration is known as cloisonné. The copper-alloy base is in turn set upon some unidentified filler or cement material which is set upon the backplate. The sides of the decorative roundel are surrounded with an upright strip of gilded copper-alloy. This upright strip appears to be set within a deliberately cast recess in the front of the backplate. The design of the enamel roundel centrepiece consists of a a central quatrefoil (possibly intended to be a flower motif) which is currently of veiny blue-green/white appearance, although the enamel may have changed in colour due to degradation. Projecting outwards from the four gaps between the petals of the central quatrefoil are a total of 4 cells which are shaped like elongated teardrops filled with red enamel; the points of the teardrops face inwards. The arrangement of these cells gives the appearance of a cross motif. Filling in the gaps between these red cells and forming the outer ring of the roundel are four larger sub-rectangular cells filled with deep blue enamel. On the backplate of the brooch are the remains of the hinged pin fitting with part of the upright catchplate surviving and the bases of the two uprights which would have secured the hinge in place also surviving; none of the actual pin has survived. All of the copper-alloy parts of this brooch, including the backplate, have been gilded.Brooches of this type are dated to the tenth century, c.900-1000.
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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