BROOCH

The mount comprises a gold baseplate, slightly crumpled, cut to a curved tapering form with a straight wide end, to fit the recessed cell of a (now missing) gilt bronze or silver penannular or pseudo-penannular brooch. The outer face of the baseplate is decorated with a spherical blue glass bead set in a gold collar, and a pattern of S- and Z-scrolls delineated by beaded wire (filigree) and other motifs (C-scrolls with central scrolled stems) within a plain beaded wire border. To one side of the bead is a now empty rectangular collet.

The overall length of the base-plate is 22.5mm; the width at one end 9.8mm; the bead diameter 3.2 x 2.7mm; the weight 0.77g.

The combination of form, filigree and bead identifies the mount as early medieval, and the shape of the decorative inlay is identical to that found on penannular or pseudo-penannular brooches of the eighth century. Examples in copper alloy, with recesses on expanded spatulate terminal, include one from Llandewi Castle, Gower (early eighth century; Redknap 2009, fig. 13.10a), and a brooch terminal recessed a now missing gold inlay, found during the excavations at the early medieval centre at Llanbedrgoch on Anglesey. The combination of blue glass bead and simple gold filigree soldered to a gold base plate recalls the simple filigree decoration around a blue glass bead on the terminals of the eighth- or ninth-century silver gilt penannular brooch from Newton Moor (Redknap 2009, fig. 13.8, d). The form of the decorative wire is found on Insular filigree, as is the beaded wire type of filigree, thought the technique is widespread, occurring on Classical and Anglo-Saxon metalwork (to name but two).

The form, decoration and above parallels for the Llanarmon-yn-Iâl mount suggest an eighth-century date. Eventual cleaning and conservation may clarify whether apparent stylistic variations from the norms indicate that it is a product of a British workshop.