Rights Holder: Norfolk County Council
CC License: All Rights Reserved
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Unique ID: NMS-74D8BB
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published
Incomplete Early Saxon gilded copper alloy great square-headed brooch with elaborate chip-carved ornament. It is a hybrid, with a headplate derived from the great square-headed class and a footplate from the florid cruciform, and belongs to one of Hines's 'informal groups', sub-group vi,
The object is in two pieces, with a non-recent break across the junction of the headplate and bow. The lower part of the footplate has been lost, an ancient fracture repaired in antiquity with iron. There is a rivet just above the break and the front face is covered with decayed iron, the remains of a repair splint.
The lower corners of the headplate are missing, perhaps broken at the same time as the bow became separated. The frame and the upper corners are partly covered with patches of grey solder which probably secured silver sheet appliqués. The panel is taken up with Style I decoration within a billeted frame and at its centre a rectangular bezel is set with an oval garnet (now cracked). In the centre of the flat-sectioned bow a roundel with a raised rim contains four-spiral tetraskele or curly swastika motif.
At the top of the footplate a square panel filled with Style I ornament within a billeted frame is flanked by a pair of flat, looped, beak-like projections which were probably once covered with silver sheet appliqués. The front of the small part remaining below the panel is divided by a moulded median groove and may be the brow of an animal head. It is largely obscured by remains of the iron splint.
At the base of the reverse of the headplate a double pin lug contains an iron spindle and the top of the iron pin. The catchplate on the reverse of the footplate is almost complete.
There is a close resemblance to several elements of two brooches, from Ipswich and Rothley, Leicestershire. The missing part of the footplate was probably triangular (ibid. pl. 99 c and pl. 100 a & b). Also compare fragment NMS-7B7FC9.
Extant length 97mm. Width 64mm. Weight 76.93g.
c.525 - c.560.
aa828
Class:
great square headed
Sub class: Hines 1997, Sub-group vi
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: EARLY MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 525
Date to: Circa AD 560
Quantity: 1
Length: 97 mm
Width: 64 mm
Weight: 76.93 g
Date(s) of discovery: Wednesday 2nd September 2015 - Wednesday 2nd September 2015
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SMR reference number: 60928
Other reference: NMD102015
Primary material: Copper alloy
Secondary material: Other
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
Surface Treatment: Multiple
4 Figure: TM0399
Four figure Latitude: 52.55097491
Four figure longitude: 0.99273419
1:25K map: TM0399
1:10K map: TM09NW
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.