BROOCH

A cast copper alloy small long brooch of Early Medieval date. The brooch measures 73.82mm in length, 22.72mm in width and 17.06mm in depth. It weighs 13.91g. The brooch's head-plate has a convex upper edge with a small semi-circular knop which protrudes from the centre. Below, the side edges each have a large semi-circular cut-out creating small arms below; each of the arms has a V-shaped notch at the outer edge. The headplate is decorated with three large double-ring-and-dot motifs. At least the upper example is centrally perforated through the brooch.

Below the head-plate is the arched bow, which has a D-shaped profile (curved at the front and flat at the back). The front of the bow has several transverse linear grooves at each end, four at the head end and three at the foot end, and a medial linear groove along its length. The foot is an elongated lozenge with a gentle backwards curve. It is decorated with two double-ring-and-dot motifs, the outer of which is centrally perforated through the brooch. There are a number of faintly grooved transverse linears at the end of the foot.

On the reverse of the head-plate, to one side of the bow, is a single perforated hinge around which are traces of corrosion from the iron pin. On the other side of the bow is the curving catchplate, which has some damge to the edge. There are traces of tinning on the front of the brooch. There are two similar brooches in the collections of the Ashmolean Museum (MacGregor and Bolick, 1993, pp. 145-6, nos. 15.78 and 15.79) although both are less elongated and have an additional double ring and dot in the centre of the head-plate. This brooch is probably sixth century in date (pers. comm. Kevin Leahy).