|
Date: |
|
Description: | An incomplete copper-alloy bow brooch of Roman date, 1st to 2nd century AD. This is a T-shaped brooch of sawfish type.The wings are a flat rectangle with a total horizontal length of 21.77mm and vertical width of 4.56mm. The wings have no evidence of any form of decoration. The wings form the top of cylindrical pin cover which enclose the hinged pinsprung of an unknown number of coils. The cylindrical cover has a depth of 3.73mm. The remains of the copper-alloy pin can just be seen protruding from the 1.35mm wide gap on the underside of the spring cover which is situated below the centre of the wings for a length of 0.90mm. The pin seems to have possibly had a rectangular cross-section where it emerged from the spring cover. The bow has a width, at the top, of 8.25mm and a rectangular cross-section. The first 12.17mm of the upper surface of the bow is plain with the exception of a single incised line running parallel to the edge on either side. These lines are set in from the edge by 1.29mm. At the centre of this upper part of the bow is a crest that protrudes from the surface by 3.60mm. This crest is 1.82mm thick and had an external lug rising up at the top which is now incomplete (See Hattat p.304, fig.163, no.935 for an example of this type of crest and lug). Below the upper part of the bow the vertical incised lines continue to the foot but the two edges are decorated each with six triangular sideways projecting teeth/knops. The top knops are above this zone, the left is now missing either due to the casting process or later damage. The second knop on the right is positioned in line with the change from plain upper section to decorated lower section of the bow. The centre of this zone is covered in a central line of two lozenge shaped cells, with a triangular cell above and below, and three triangular cells fitting between the lozenges to either side. These cells cover a length of 13.04mm and width of 4.73mm tapering to 4.11mm towards the foot. The cells would have originally been filled with enamel most of which is now missing. The top lozenge cell retains a little pale blueish-green. The lowest zone has a length of c.2.57mm and is completely undecorated with the incised lines and side knops having terminated above. The bow terminates with an plain oval foot knop, length 6.86mm and width 4.07mm. Behind the foot knop is a catchplate and return. The catchplate has a length of 10.28mm, width of 1.66mm and height of 3.26mm.Weight is 6.13g and total length (from top of wings to foot, excluding incomplete external lug) is 30.06mm. See Bayley and Butcher 2004, 95, no. 225-226, fig. 75; Hattat, R. p.304, fig.163, nos.30, 415, 936, 937, 416, 933, 934, 935, 410, 31, 411, which have some similar elements to this brooch.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
|
More Like this...
-
BROOCH
Cast copper alloy Polden Hill…
-
Brooch
Cast copper alloy Headstud brooch…
-
BROOCH
Cast copper alloy Headstud brooch…
-
Brooch
Cast copper alloy Headstud brooch…
-
BROOCH
Cast copper alloy Headstud brooch…
-
BROOCH
Cast copper alloy Headstud brooch…
-
Brooch
Cast copper alloy Headstud brooch…
-
BROOCH
An incomplete Roman copper-alloy crescent…
-
brooch
Cast copper alloy Polden Hill…
-
BROOCH
An almost complete copper alloy…
|