BROOCH

Cast silver trumpet brooch from the Roman period, dating to c. 1st to 2nd centuries AD. The trumpet brooch has a typical oval head shape. The brooch is a hinged example. The hinge and pin are missing. The lug which held the pin remains at the back of the head. The head is decorated with a vertical central ridge divided with three grooves. The ridge expands at the top into a C-shape and at the base into two circles, each containing a pellet. To each side of the central ridge is an inverted S-shaped ridge containing a large pellet in each curve at the top and a pellet where the curve begins. The circumferential border around the head of the brooch is decorated with an undulating ridge.

The bow arches out from the head and tapers towards the foot. The bow is sub-oval in cross-section. The bow is decorated with a petalled waist moulding, below and above which are two transverse mouldings within which are a series of vertical ridges. The central transverse ridge of the waist moulding is decorated with an undulating ridge. A vertical ridge decorates the centre and each edge of the leg of the brooch. Each half of the leg is decorated with continuous sub-oval moulding within which is a gilded pellet.

The foot is rounded and almost complete. Above the foot are ten pellets running around the object above which is a band decorated with vertical grooves. The catchplate is incomplete. The flat side of the catchplate is decorated with two incised circles within which is an incised 'V'. On the outer curve of the catchplate is an incised zig-zag.

The recesses between the raised mouldings on the brooch are all gilded. The object is in good condition. Similar examples can be found on p327, Hattatt, (2000). The brooch can be dated from 75-175AD.

This brooch was discovered with a Roman coin hoard, Treasure case 2012 T406. A larger very similar brooch which was part of the hoard is Oakden, V (2012) LVPL-180D95 A ROMAN BROOCH Webpage available at: http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/508627.