Roman Jewellery Silver Trumpet Whorl Brooch 2nd-4th Century

Description

Heading: Roman Jewellery – silver trumpet whorl brooch

Material: Silver with ferrous pin

Period: Romano-Celtic jewellery 

Date: 2nd to 4th century AD

Origin: Roman provinces

Condition: VF, catch-plate and pin present

Description: A silver S-shaped openwork plate brooch formed from La Tene Celtic styled motifs of trumpet and comma-shaped elements; hinged pin present.

Size and Weight: 39mm x 21mm, 10g 

Features and Provenance: Ex TimeLine sale, previously from a Swiss collection built in the 1980’s, thence by decent.

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. It is unusual for the pin to be present as this is usually the piece that corrodes first being typically made from iron, but here we are lucky to still have it attached, albeit showing corrosion.

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