Roman Bronze Plate Brooch Enamelled Deer 2nd Century

Description

Material: Bronze with enamelling

Period: Roman imperial jewellery 

Date: 1st to 2nd century AD

Origin: Roman provinces, possibly Romano-British or Gaul.

Condition: VF, small part of leg missing, as is the ferrous pin. The enamelling is in good condition which is unusual with these pieces. Some concretions around enamelling.

Description: An exquisite bronze zoomorphic plate brooch shaped as a deer with legs in a running position and short antlers to the head. There are circular, triangular and square decorative cells with blue and white enamelling to the body. The pin is sadly missing but this is very often the case. A lovely piece.

Size and Weight: 37mm x 30mm, 7.92g 

Features and Provenance: 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 still used by the Romans, as buttons had yet to be invented. This type of brooch was an adapted plate brooch and their ornamentation indicated a degree of affluence by the wearer and their delicate structure points at them being used on equally delicate, expensive fabric, probably by a woman.

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