Anglo Saxon Jewellery Cruciform Bronze Brooch c600

Description

Heading: Anglo Saxon Jewellery – Cruciform Bronze Brooch c600

Material: Copper bronze

Period: Anglo-Saxon

Date: 5th-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 small cruciform brooch with a rectangular head-plate flanked by three integral facetted half-round knops and  ribbed decorated bow; a zoomorphic features such as a horse-head terminal with annulet eyes and scrolled panels for nostrils adorns the end of the long axis.

Size and Weight: 87mm x 38mm, 28g

References: cf Hattatt Fig 235. p372. Mills: Saxon and Viking Artefacts. p33 for similar.

Features and Provenance: Ex TimeLine sale; previously from the Alison Baker collection, located in London, formed in the 1960’s to 90’s

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