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Roman anchor fibula

Price: on request
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Object number
AR3050B
Object: Roman anchor fibula

Material: Silver.

Period: Roman Imperial period.
2nd cent. AD to mid 3rd cent. AD.

Description:    Magnificent Roman silver brooch with an anchor-shaped head. The bow is decorated by knobs at the middle and foot. The pin is attached to the head with a spiral construction, that is covered by a wide cover plate.
The brooch type is a so-called anchor fibula. Such fibulae must have been made in the Danube area Roman provinces. There are many known finds from today's Hungary and Austria.

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.

Dimensions: 37mm length. 24mm width.

Condition: Very good condition. Body of the fibula fully intact including elaborate decorations. Original pin is preserved but bent.

Provenance: Acquired by us in 2020 on the German art market. Previously in the Austrian private collection M. S., exported from Austria to Germany in 2019 with approval from the Austrian Federal Monuments Office. Acquired into the collection in the 1970ies.

References: Cf. R. Heynowskis, Fibeln - erkennen, bestimmen, beschreiben, p. 83, no. 3.18.1.1.
Cf. R. Hattatt, A Visual Catalogue of Richard Hattatt's Ancient Brooches, p. 325, no. 762.
Cf. S. Redic, Finding of roman brooches in the cemeteries of Viminacium, plate VIII, no. 61 and 63.

Literature: A superb and compact overview on the subject of ancient fibulae 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.