BROOCH

An incomplete copper-alloy Roman zoomorphic plate brooch in the form of a horse. It is missing the majority of the pin, due to old breaks, now worn.

The brooch is flat in the form of a horse walking and facing right. The head has a groove for the mouth and a circular hollow to indicate the eye. The ear extends vertically from the top of the head. Immediately behind the ear is the mane, with the hair being defined by short longitudinal grooves. The body is slender, with a defined torso and rump. Attached to the rump is the tail. This is held away from the body and the hair is defined by transverse grooves. Beneath the body are two legs. These are at right angles, as though suggest that the horse is moving. The front face is decorated with two comma shaped cells. The upper cell is recessed to contain, the now missing enamel. The lower cell still has red enamel within it.

The back face is undecorated. At the rump is a double pin lug, still containing a separated copper-alloy spring. Parallel to this behind the head is an integrally cast catch plate, rectangular in form with a rectangular pin groove.

This brooch measures 30.78mm in length, 22.00mm in width, 1.81mm in thickness, 3.21g in weight.

There are similar examples recorded on the PAS database (LIN-A5D8F7), (DUR-A9D261), (WILT-B909D6), (LEIC-04ACE7), (LEIC-0203A7).