Roman plate brooch
Price: on request
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Object number
AR3345A
| Object: |
Roman plate brooch
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| Material: |
Bronze with enamel inlays.
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| Period: |
2nd century AD. Roman Imperial period. |
| Description: |
The plate brooch has the shape of a circular disk flanked by two cross bar terminals. The spiral spring is located on one bar, the other bar once held the catch plate, which is now missing. The disk is decorated by a central cell with orange enamel, surrounded by a ring of turquoise enamel, which is still fragmentarily preserved. The bars are decorated with a knobbed decoration, once covered with a light coating, which is also still preserved in remnants.
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| Background: |
Fibulae were more than just brooches or pins for fastening garments. They were jewellery and status symbol and were worn prominently near the shoulder. This explains the abundance of fashionable shapes and styles that can be observed with surviving ancient pieces. They vary with region, era and social background of the wearer. Modern archaeology uses that distinctiveness to quickly attribute an archaeological find whenever a fibula is part of it.
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| Dimensions: |
24mm long. Circa 2.9g.
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| Condition: |
Pin and foot with catch plate are missing, the spring is still mounted. Minor damages and small defects on the rest of the body. Parts of the original enamel inlays are still intact. Overall good condition.
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| Provenance: |
Acquired by us in 2022 on the British art market. Exported under British export license no. PAU/01051/22. Previously in private British ownership. The brooch was found on 9 May 2020 on the Isle of Wight, Great Britain. The find was recorded and published in the national database Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), entry number IOW-0B0C9A.
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| References: |
Cf. an identically made brooch in R. Hattatt, Ancient Brooches and other Artefacts, p. 352, no. 1108.
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| Literature: |
A superb and compact overview on the subject of ancient and later fibulae in general is given by R. Heynowski in his book "Fibeln - erkennen, bestimmen, beschreiben" (Deutscher Kunstverlag, 2012, German language).
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| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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