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Description: | An incomplete cast copper-alloy oval flat plate brooch of Roman date. It is missing most of the pin due to old breaks but is otherwise complete. The plate is flat, oval shaped in form with a raised rim and central oval shaped collect containing a very dark blue/black intaglio. The front face of the plate between the border and collet is gilded and has stamped or moulded decoration. This comprises two concentric bands of decoration with a narrow border between them, the outer band formed from lozenge-shaped motifs, the inner band of a continuous V-shaped or zig-zag motif. On the back face of the plate is an integrally cast semi-circular pin lug that has a central circular aperture holding in place the corroded remains of a copper-alloy pin that possibly has an iron axis bar or rivet, its precise form uncertain due to post-depositional corrosion. At the opposite side of the back face is an integrally cast catchplate that is flat, rectangular in form and with a folded outer edge. The back face has traces of an added white metal coating.At the centre of the plate is an oval shaped, moulded intaglio probably formed from a very dark blue or black glass. It has a central motif that depicts a standing figure facing right, probably a satyr, wearing a small, pointed cap. On his back is a large, vertical and slightly beaded object and in front of him is what appears to be a tree, his arms outstretched to small oval shaped objects hanging from the tree. There is a rectangular object of uncertain form between the figure and the tree. This is perhaps intended to represent a Bacchic or hunting scene, the object on the figure's back potentially a 'lagobolon', a throwing stick used for hunting hares, and the figure in the process of hanging hares on the tree and the rectangular object potentially a stylised dog(?) (see Hattatt, 1987: pp. 255-261, referencing Henig, 1974: no. 184).The entire object measures 30.45mm in length, 23.80mm in width, 5.92mm in thickness (12.93mm including catchplate), and 12.14g in weight.This is a decorative plate brooch of Roman date. It finds close parallels in a group of similar brooches identified by Hattatt (1987: pp. 255-261, nos. 1217-1220) that contained similar intaglio settings. Most notably it has a similar decorative scene on the intaglio to Hattatt's no.1220, which he dates to the 3rd century AD noting it as belonging in Henig's category of Romano-British Imitation intaglios that imitate 1st to 2nd century AD cut examples (Hattatt, 1987: p. 256; cf. Henig, 1974). This suggests a date range in the 3rd century AD for the current example.
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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