Rights Holder: Suffolk County Council
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Unique ID: SF-CFC6D7
Object type certainty: Certain
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status: Published
An incomplete cast copper-alloy zoomorphic (stag?) plate brooch of Roman date. It is missing parts of the front and hind legs of the animal, possibly the ends oh horns/antlers, as well as the pin due to old breaks. The plate is D-shaped in section with flat back face and slightly rounded front face. It is in the form of a large quadruped walking or running to the left, possibly a stag or similar animal. It has a rectangular head with stocky, rectangular neck, a short projecting semi-circular snout and the remains of what appear to be curved antlers. The eye is depicted by a single circular indentation, and there is a diagonal row of three similar circular indentations across the neck. At the front quarters of the animal are the remains of two legs, one in front of the other and seemingly bent at the knee suggesting the animal is walking or running. Both legs are incomplete due to old breaks and there is a very worn single circular indentation at the centre of the front quartes. Immediately behind the legs the rectangular body of the animal has a series of four deeply incised diagonal grooves followed by the incomplete remains of the curved hind quarters. Both rear legs are missing due to old breaks and there is a single large circular indentation on the rump of the animal, behind which is an incomplete, short projecting tail. The back face of the plate is flat and undecorated. It has an integrally cast double-pierced semi-circular lug at the front of the animal, with an integral, flat and rectangular catchplate at the hind end, the pin now missing due to old breaks. The entire brooch has a dark green patina that is worn, pitted and shows signs of corrosion in places. It measures 33.26mm in length, 24.60mm in height, 2.53mm in thickness and 7.70g in weight.
This is an incomplete zoomorphic plate brooch of Roman date. The presence of antlers and the form of the animal suggest it may be a stag or similar animal. An incomplete brooch that appears to offer a similar parallel (although oriented in a different direction by Hattatt) is noted in Hattatt (1989: no. 619). This brooch is likely to date to the 2nd century AD.
Class: zoomorphic (stag?)
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 100
Date to: Circa AD 200
Quantity: 1
Length: 33.26 mm
Height: 24.6 mm
Thickness: 2.53 mm
Weight: 7.7 g
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 1st November 2009
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Other reference: Finder's Ref.: No. 117
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
No references cited so far.