Rights Holder: Norfolk County Council
CC License:
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Unique ID: NMS-E7F720
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published
Late Saxon copper-alloy bird brooch in two pieces (recent break across neck). Missing parts include the pin, part of the double pin lug, the flap of the catchplate, the beak and both feet. The bird has a triangular tail with a wide transverse moulding at the junction of tail and body, a triangular wing projecting above the back, an aperture between the legs which probably rested on a "perch". There are three rounded coxcomb projections from the top of the head. No decoration is visible, although the front surface is moulded rather than flat. The reverse has the double pin lug at the end of the tail and the catchplate in the centre of the body, both set longitudinally. Surviving length 39mm, surviving height 25mm.
Bird brooches of this type are known from Denmark and England and date from the 11th century (Pedersen 1999). Other examples have been recorded in Norfolk at Costessey (HER 5352), Kenninghall (HER 32862), Postwick (HER 31087), Rocklands (HER 34984), East Rudham (HER 29031), West Rudham (HER 32133), Seething (HER 40302), Stoke Holy Cross (HER 24332), Thetford (HER 33933) and Topcroft (HER 39872). This example most clearly resembles the Kenninghall brooch (Pedersen 1999, fig. 19b).
For comparanda on the PAS database, see BERK-CEBC67, BERK-5DED86, NMS-E7F720, SF-BCC403 KENT-9F6987 SUSS-44F203 SF-7B3CA5. Another, rather unconventional, example is at SF-AD5FA7.
Class:
bird
Sub class: Weetch type 30.A
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Late
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Ascribed Culture:
Anglo-Scandinavian style
Date from: Circa AD 1000
Date to: Circa AD 1100
Quantity: 1
Length: 39 mm
Width: 25 mm
Date(s) of discovery: Saturday 1st December 2007 - Saturday 1st December 2007
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SMR reference number: 4561
Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pedersen, A. | 2001 | Rovfugle eller duer Fugleformede fibler fra den tidlige middelalder | Copenhagen | Det Kongelige Nordiske Oldskriftselskab |