Large Iron Age Celtic Tinned Bow Brooch, 1st Century AD

Description

Heading : Large Iron Age. Celtic. Tinned Bow Brooch. 1st Century AD

Material: Base metals. copper and tin

Period: Celtic Iron age

Date: 1st century AD

Origin: Noricum area which is now Austria/Bavaria/Italy region 

Condition: F+ for type. with an extremely interesting ancient structural repair

Description: A bow brooch with D-section and annular insert with two knops to the top; the footplate section is a trapezoidal plaque with pierced tracery and punched holes. decorated with zig-zag patterning. Pin missing.

Size and Weight: 145mm x 37mm. 49.5g

Features and Provenance: This bow brooch originated in the Noricum and Pannonia areas and spread west being adapted as it went. Similar artefacts have been described as being from the Celtic Hallstatt culture. It is quite a unique style of fibula. also called a ‘Fluegelfibel’ or ‘winged fibula’. They were worn in pairs and their large size must have been  impressive. They are quite rare and are seldom seen in as good condition outside museum collections. The decorated footplate is very rarely present in archaeological finds. so this makes it a most desirable piece. As with many brooches of this type. the iron pin has decayed and is missing. The strange knops on the top are believed to have been a devolved decoration of two birds. but it has also been suggested that they were bulls horns.  

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