Description
Material: Copper bronze
Period: Anglo-Saxon
Date: 6th-7th century
Origin: Britain
Condition: Very Fine with dark patina, pin missing as is often the case as they were made of iron.
Description: A cruciform brooch with a rectangular head-plate flanked by trapezoid wings and a stepped knop above, with carinated bow, highly decorated for type with zoomorphic features such as the horse-head finial with pellet eyes and scrolled panels for nostrils; also dot punch edge decoration.
Size and Weight: 140mm x 45mm, 86g
References: cf Hattatt Fig 235. p372. Mills: Saxon and Viking Artefacts. p33 for similar.
Features and Provenance: Found in the UK, held in a Yorkshire collection
Buttons did not exist at this point in history, only brooches and clothes fastenings made of metal or bone were the norm. The Romans had previously introduced a variety of fibulae or brooch types based on a crossbow type form, by the 5th century they were adapted by the Saxons and introduced them to England. Our example is a basic cruciform long brooch would have had an iron pin. The pins of course rust away and are very rarely found intact. The smaller brooches such as this were usually worn in pairs by women to attach the tunic at the shoulders or singly to attach a cloak, but the larger forms were worn by men and were obvious status symbols.
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
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