BROOCH

Roman copper alloy oval gilded disc brooch with intaglio of 3rd century AD date The plate brooch is near-complete, missing the pin and catch (with an overall depth of 11.1mm and a weight of 7.5g). The brooch is of oval form (30.0mm long and 22.6mm wide) and has a raised outer border (1.6mm thick), inside of which is a flat panel, slightly angled towards the centre. The panel is gilded and decorated with two rows of a repeating punched design; the outer row is of chevrons and the inner row is from a square punch containing a saltire cross. At the centre is an oval cell, defined by a raised border (19.4mm long, 13.5mm wide and 1.9mm high) which retains a glass intaglio. The intaglio (16.7mm long and 10.8mm wide) stands slightly raised of the border with sides bevelled to the face. The glass is dark red or burgundy in colour and has an anthropomorphic depiction, probably of a hunting scene with a standing figure in side profile facing left and seemingly holding a fruit-bearing tree or shrub, and probably pulling the upper part towards his face or mouth. There is the suggestion of an object suspended from the arm, between the legs and the tree, possibly some game or a here. The figure has a segmented implement on his back, from above the shoulder to below the knee, possibly a lagobolon. There is the suggestion that the figure is wearing a headdress or beret. The rear of the brooch has a single, pierced lug (8.1mm long, 1.3mm thick and 6.1mm high) at the base. The edge abutting the base is rounded while the side opposite the catch is angular. The remains of a ferrous axis bar are evident within the perforation and secure the fragmentary spring and chord, tensioned against the rear. There is a slight rib between the catch-plate and the spring lug. The catch has been lost from the sub-rectangular plate (8.2mm long, 1.3mm thick and with a surviving height of 6.7mm. The surface at the rear has been silvered or tinned. Most of the metal surface retains its gilding or white-metal coating, elsewhere traces of red-brown metal are evident where the surface is damaged. The brooch can be closely paralleled with an example recorded by Hattatt (1987, p 256, nos. 1220) , who states that the brooch is of Henig's Romano British Imitation class of gems representing a debased version of a popular 2nd century image depicted on cut gem stones in finger rings. The depiction on this glass intaglio may be seen as referencing an image similar to that recorded by Henig (1978, no 184, pp 208) from South Shields, Co. Durham of late 2nd or early 3rd century date.