BROOCH

An incomplete cast copper alloy and enamelled trumpet-headed "Fly" brooch of Roman, second century date (c. AD 100 - c. AD 200). One of two brooches found close together and forming a pair. See Portable Antiquities Scheme find: IOW-ECE7B4. Length 22.2mm, width 15.1mm and thickness of plate 1.1mm. Weight 1.38g. The bow, trumpet-shaped head, pin and enamel inlay are missing. The surviving parts of the brooch, comprising the leg and foot knob, are in the form of an insect's wings and head. The wings have a maximum width of 15.1mm and are triangular in plan as if the insect, probably a fly, is in a resting pose. The bulbous foot knob represents the head. Each wing has a semi-circular recess to accommodate enamel. The straight side of the cells face outwards and the curved sides are inward facing. As viewed from the front, the right hand cell is slightly smaller than the cell at the left. The tip of the right wing is missing due to an old break. Below these cells and just above the thorax, is a central cell in the shape of an inverted heart. All three cells are empty and there is no indication as to the colour of the missing enamel. The thorax, separating the wings and head, is in the form of a small transverse rib. The bulbous head is tri-lobed, two of the lobes representing eyes and the third lower and central lobe acting as the front of the head and mandible. The rear of the brooch is flat, except for the remains of the catch-plate which is situated along the longitudinal centre-line. Along the top edge, at the centre, is an old break, where the missing bow would have joined. The piece is in fair condition and has a patchy dark green patina at the front and a paler green patina at the rear. Both faces also have superficial copper alloy deposits. The dark green patina has a metallic sheen and it is possible that the front of the brooch, at least, was tinned or silvered but that this has worn off, leaving just a hint of the former coating. When complete, the shape of this brooch would have followed the usual form of the Trumpet-headed brooches with a flaring bow and a head of "trumpet" shape, probably terminating with a chain-loop. There may have been "eyes" or other decorative motifs on the sides of the flaring part of the bow. The spring mechanism for the pin at the rear of the head was probably housed within a recess and secured by two parallel lugs. The spring, no doubt, had an internal chord. These brooches are the scarcest of the Trumpet-headed brooches and have a wide distribution from Northumberland to Hampshire. They should not be confused with zoomorphic types, as the leg is just a thin flat plate and the fly has no body (Hattatt 1987, 141). Trumpet-headed Fly brooches come in two size ranges. The smaller and more common vary from 25 to 33mm in length, and the larger from 44 to 48mm (Hattatt 1989. 90). This Isle of Wight brooch seems to fall into the smaller of Hattatt's two categories. Hattatt has published a number of trumpet-headed "Fly" brooches (Hattatt 1982, 112, fig. 48a, ref. 88a; Hattatt 1985, 117, fig. 48, refs. 459 and 460; Hattatt 1987, 141, fig. 46, refs. 974 and 975; Hattatt 1989, 90, fig. 43, ref. 1536). A further example in the Richborough Collection has been published by Bayley and Butcher 2004, 170, ref. T168. Distinctively similar brooches have been recorded on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database. See finds: WAW-F8DEE7, LIN-5E5C67, LIN-5E2B37 and NLM177. The two brooches from Lincolnshire are particularly significant as they, like the Isle of Wight brooches, form a pair.