Large Visigoth bow brooch
Price: on request
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Object number
AR3257
| Object: |
Large Visigoth bow brooch
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| Material: |
Brooch body made of bronze, the pin made of Iron, the inserts made of blue and colourless glass.
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| Period: |
5th cent. AD to 6th cent. AD. Towards the end of the Migration Period and at the begining of the Merovingian period. |
| Description: |
The fibula is of the bow brooch type. The eponymous bow connects the semi-circular head with the diamond-shaped foot. The outer rim of the fibula is completely decorated with discs and openwork shapes. Eight such discs held a decorative glass insert, five of which are still in place. The top side of the brooch is entirely covered by a geometric design in low relief. On the bottom side is the iron pin with spring, which rests in a bronze pin holder.
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| Background: |
The brooch was made during a time in which Europe was reshaped after the fall of the Roman Empire. It is unsurprising that this Migration Period is also recognizable in novel styles, for example of the jewellery. The design of fibulae clearly breaks with earlier Roman and Gallo-Roman traditions. The new Gothic types spread quickly throughout Western and Central Europe during the Migration Period. In particular, the type offered here is attributed to the Visigoths. The distribution area was essentially the western and central European mainland.
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| Dimensions: |
10.2cm long, 4.5cm wide.
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| Condition: |
Excellent condition. The body of the brooch is excellently intact and has a beautiful green patina. The original iron pin is heavily corroded but still there. Five of the original glass inserts have been preserved. Modern sticker with print "08" or "80" on the bottom.
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| Provenance: |
Acquired by us in 2021 on the German art market. Acquired in 1993 from Galerie Guenter Puhze, Freiburg, Germany. Since then continuously in Germany. Previously in a German collection, acquired in the 1970s or 1980s. The piece is published in the catalog "Kunst der Antike 10" from Guenter Puhze gallery, no. 95 (Freiburg, Germany, 1993). |
| References: |
Cf. R. Hattatt, Ancient Brooches and other Artefacts, p. 229, no. 1319. Cf. R. Heynowski, Fibeln, p. 101, no. 3.24.3.2. |
| Literature: |
Specifically for this type of fibula, see R. Hattatt, Ancient Brooches and other Artefacts, pp. 224. 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). |
| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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