BROOCH

An almost complete cast copper alloy and gold plated ‘fully developed’ crossbow brooch of Roman date (AD 370 – AD 400). Overall length: 69.1mm; maximum width: 44.1mm. Weight: 38.51g. The brooch has three ‘onion’-shaped knobs, all integral with the crossarm. Each side knob has a diameter of 10.2mm and the right hand knob is angled downwards slightly (when viewed from the front). The central foremost knob is noticeably squatter than the two side knobs and has a diameter of 11.0mm. The crossarm is sub-rectangular in cross-section. Between the crossarm and each side knob there is a pair of narrow circumferential collars separated by a groove. The groove between the right hand pair of collars is partly filled with copper alloy. This appears to be a result of miscasting rather than being part of the design. At the front of the crossarm, between the bow and the pairs of collars, there are forward projecting lugs, both of which have vertical circular perforations and diameters of about 1.7mm. Similar style lugs are situated on the front of a crossbow brooch crossarm in The British Museum Collection, illustrated by Hattatt, 1985, 195, fig. 78. The bow is semi-circular in side profile and is trapezoidal in cross-section although, at the front, there is a slight median carination throughout its length. It has an overall length of 29.0mm and a width of 11.6mm which is uniform throughout its length. At the top of the bow the thickness is 8.2mm and the thickness at its base is 7.1mm. The trapezoidal shaped part of the bow is divided from the foot (leg) by a small constriction which is sub-rectangular in cross-section. The foot has an overall length of 38.4mm and incorporates a sheath-like catch-plate. Viewed from the front, it is slightly angled to the left. At the front of the foot there are three blind chamfers on each side, the spaces between the chamfers being incised with volutes. The catch-plate has a curved surface and is open on the right side (as viewed from the front) to receive the pin. This brooch was furnished with a small safety device in the form of a bolt which is now missing. However, the circular hole for the bolt is situated at the top of the foot, immediately to the rear of the constriction. The hole has a diameter of about 2.0mm. The bolt was free-sliding and could be shaken out of its housing to cross the gap of the catch, thus entrapping the pin. These bolts appear to have no mechanism to keep them shot out over the pin, and could just as easily have slipped back into their housing, unless the pressure of the entrapped cloth folds happened to keep the pin pressed against the bolt. The iron pin at the centre of the crossarm is secured to an iron axis bar which completely penetrates the crossarm and side knobs. The ends of this axis bar project slightly from the outer tip of the side knobs. The pin is circular in cross-section and 47.0mm in length. Its sharp tip terminates at a point 8.3mm from the bottom of the catch-plate recess. All elements of this brooch are corroded to some extent. However, gold plating has survived in places on the sides of the bow, the rear of the bow and the front of the foot. It is noticeable that the gilding is absent on the rear of the brooch, except the rear of the bow. This absence of gold may possibly be due to wear. The corroded copper alloy parts of the brooch are mainly coated with a mid-green patina although some areas have a darker green patina. The iron pin is corroded but appears to be in a stable condition. This brooch is similar in many respects to an unprovenanced example published by Hattatt 1985, 132, fig. 56, ref. 505. On this example the sliding safety bolt remains in the locked position. Another similar unprovenanced brooch with a safety bolt in position has been published by Hattatt 1987, 286, fig. 92, ref. 1267. However, this latter brooch is more ornate on the bow and the foot compared with this Isle of Wight example. This brooch is classified as a Keller type 5 (K5) and dated AD 370-400 (Hattatt 1987, 283). A chronology and typology for crossbow brooches has been described by Bayley and Butcher 2004, 183-185.