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Description: | An incomplete Roman copper alloy and enamel horse and rider brooch, with a damaged catchplate and missing its iron pin. The lug is obscured by iron corrosion presumably from the spring mechanism. Measures 26.59mm in length (nose to tail), 21.13mm wide (head to foot), 5.20mm thick (max), 1.48mm thick (min) and weighs 2.60 grams.The brooch depicts an incomplete horse advancing right (as is typical of the type). The rider is complete and is leaning backwards at an angle, suggesting motion. The feet and tail are incomplete. Both horse and rider are simplistic in design having tiny transverse grooves for the mane and indentations for the horse and rider's eyes.The brooch is decorated with four cells, three contain traces of green and possible blue enamel. A small oval cell (with green enamel) is located below the rider, a further cell with possible blue enamel is located to the right on the body of the horse, a long diagonal line with curving end containing traces of green enamel extends along the body and into the haunch.Bayley and Butcher (2004, 175) note that the quality of this design of brooch is variable (see Hattatt 2000, 359; fig. 218). They state that there are strong indications of a religious connection with this brooch type, with significant quantities being found at temple sites (ibid., 175-176). Catherine Johns (1996, 173-174) suggests that these brooches may depict a Romano-Celtic rider god (perhaps Mars conflated with a local deity), and may have been bought from shrines as the Roman equivalent of medieval pilgrim badges.
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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