Celtic Bronze Scissor Brooch or Fibula c3rd Century BCE

Description

Material: Copper alloy (bronze)

Period: Celtic

Date: c3rd century BCE

Origin: Eastern Europe

Condition: Very fine. patinated. slight damage to catch-plate.

Description: An arched lozenge bow with traces of punched decoration and scissor action pin. An unusual piece.

Size and Weight: 65mm x 12mm. 7.60g

Features and Provenance:  From a UK collection. previously purchased from Coincraft in 2007.

Brooches as clothes fasteners have been made since the bronze age. As skills and metallurgy advanced. so did the size and detail of the fibulae. They were later still used by the Romans. as buttons had yet to be invented. The pin. also of bronze. is unusually intact and the brooch was probably decorative rather than functional. the scissor action form of attachment is very unusual.

Condition Summary. This varies with the age of the artefact and there are grades between

Extremely Fine (EF). Very slight traces of wear. all parts of pattern etc present. visible and clear

Very Fine (VF). Some signs of wear on the higher parts of the relief. all parts of pattern etc present. but may be worn

Fine (F). Wear on the artefact and parts of item and pattern etc may be missing or not visible