BROOCH

Early Medieval (early Anglo-Saxon) damaged and incomplete cast copper alloy cruciform brooch. The headplate is square with worn breaks to either side, where the wings would have been located. The apex of the head has an integrally cast knop with a half-cylindrical base with three grooves visible on one side, a narrowed waste with concave sides, and terminating in a half rounded terminal (effectively one quarter of a sphere). The knop is slightly distorted and is leaning towards the front of the headplate at a 60 degree angle. The reverse of the headplate has an integrally cast lug for the pin attachment. This lug is damaged and incomplete, and no trace of the pin survives (there is no evidence of iron corrosion). The arched bow is damaged and distorted, with a worn break across its base, with the foot and catchplate missing. There are two narrow grooves at the start of the bow. The surface of the metal is pitted and uneven, with only small patches of a dark green patina surviving.

In its distorted condition, the brooch measures 63.14mm long and weighs 18.1 grams. The headplate is 18.91mm long (excluding the knop), 23.46mm wide, 2.04mm thick, increasing to 6.79mm thick to include the incomplete pin lug. The lug is 9.48mm long and 2.97mm thick. The knop is 13.85mm long, the half-cylinder base is 11.15mm wide, 6.32mm thick, the waste is 7.05mm wide, 4.72mm thick and the terminal 10.68mm wide, 6.36mm thick.