Roman Large Bronze Openwork Disk Brooch with Pin, AD 100-200

Description

Material: Copper alloy

Period: Roman 

Date: 1st to 2nd century AD

Origin: Western Europe including Britain

Condition: VF. the iron pin and catch-plate is present. but corroded. as is often the case. it is in fact rare to have the pin still attached and in such good condition.

Description: A large openwork bronze brooch. disk shaped with a geometric pattern. 

Size and Weight: 81mm diam. 64g 

Reference: cf Richard Hattat’s Ancient Brooches. p345 and 347

Features and Provenance: From UK collections.

Brooches as clothes fasteners have been made since the bronze age. As skills and metallurgy advanced. so did the size and detail of the brooches or fibulae. They were still used by the Romans. as buttons had yet to be invented. As this disk brooch is so large it was an important piece. not just used to attach two pieces of clothing but an item of jewellery in its own right. showing self expression on the part of the owner. Roman brooches are in hundreds of differing shapes. but the disk or disc brooch seems to have been developed from the earlier plate brooch; the openwork nature would have reduced the weight allowing the brooch to be increased in size and therefore its impressiveness. Similar brooches have been found in Norfolk.

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