BROOCH

An incomplete Roman cast copper-alloy Headstud brooch (AD 75-200), Bayley and Butcher Type 'b' (hinged pin and fixed headloop).

This brooch is 'T'-shaped in plan. At the head of the brooch there is a stub of an attachment or chain loop. The short wings are rectangular in plan and sub-cylindrical in cross-section. The front of the wings are double-stepped either side of the bow. However, one side is more definite than the other. The wings accommodate a copper-alloy axis bar and a central slot at the rear housed the pin. Only the pin loop within the slot has survives and this appears to be made of copper-alloy. The bow is broadly 'D'-shaped in cross-section, flat at the rear. Viewing the brooch from the front, the sides of the bow taper evenly to the foot. At the head, the bow has a width of 7.9mm and the width where it joins the foot is 4.9mm. The front of the bow is flat between the headloop and the headstud which is circular with an outer diameter of 6.4mm. It has two concentric rings with a recessed area between them as well as a central circular recess. These recessed areas would have originally contained enamel, although none has survived. Immediately below the headstud is a vertical row of ten contiguous lozenge cells, which diminish in size as the bow tapers towards the foot. These lozenge cells are surrounded by outer triangular cells with two cells between each lozenge. The lozenge and triangular cells are all recessed for the inlay of enamel. Some of the cells contain minute flecks of decayed enamel. One of the flecks is now light blue. Between the lower lozenge and the circular footknob are three horizontal parallel ribs. These do not extend around to the rear of the bow. The footknob is ridged/stepped on the top and slightly convex on the underside. On the rear face of the bow there is a stub of a catch-plate and the break along its length is abraded. It extended from about mid-way along the length of the bow to the foot and had a length of 22.0mm.

This brooch is worn. At the front it has a shiny mid-brown patina with small areas of corrosion. The rear of the bow is a lighter brown, coarse and dull. The breaks are old and abraded.

Height: 41.9mm; width of wings: 14.2mm; width of headloop: 7.0mm; thickness of bow at headstud: 4.9mm width of footknob: 7.9mm. Weight: 9.65g.

Similar headstud brooches are illustrated in Bayley and Butcher 2004: 96-97, figs. 76-77, refs: 228 and 230. Bayley and Butcher also states (page 164) that 'like the trumpet brooches, the headstud type probably originated in high quality pieces with relief decoration in Celtic style.'

Other examples are illustrated in Hattatt 1982, 78, refs. 36 and 37, found at Owmby, Lincolnshire and Ipswich, Suffolk respectively. Another similar brooch from Northampton is illustrated in Hattatt 1985: 102-103, ref: 421.

Bayley, J. and Butcher, S. 2004. Roman Brooches in Britain: A Technological and Typological Study based on the Richborough Collection. Society of Antiquaries.

Hattatt, R. 1982. Ancient and Romano-British Brooches. Dorset Publishing. Dorset.

Hattatt, R. 1985. Iron Age and Roman Brooches. Oxford: Oxbow Books.