BROOCH

A Roman Headstud brooch with attached chain made of copper alloy. Headstud brooches date from 75 - 175 AD. Each brooch would have been worn on the shoulder and the chain would have been suspended between them. The head of the brooch features the ringed headstud. It contains a vertical/horizontal cross decoration. The ring appears to be plain with no decoration. The wings are short and decorated with two incised vertical grooves. The wings are tubular, and the hinge mechanism has been built into it. The head loop also survives intact and it is through this that the chain has been attached. The bow tapers to the foot. The bow is decorated with two squares, with an elongated down pointing triangle below which extend down the front. These appear to have been all inlaid with enamel, with varying traces surviving. The top square appears to have traces of red enamel and the lower square appears to have traces of green enamel. The elongated triangle has more evident traces of red enamel. The foot is formed from a large rounded knop with three rows of horizontal ridges above. The catchplate has partly broken off. The attached chain is also made of copper alloy comprising 66 links. The links are oval and shaped so that one link sits inside the next. The unattached end is missing its link, which could suggest that some of the chain has broken off. Similar to Hattatt, p332-3, fig 422.