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BROOCH
Unique ID: IOW-BB17EA
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published 
An incomplete Roman copper-alloy and enamelled flat disc, sexfoil brooch (AD 80-250).
The pin and part of the catch-plate are missing. A small amount of the peripheral edge of the plate is also missing.
The plate is now sub-circular in plan. At the front it has a plain border and a hexactinal pattern (a star shape) with circular lobes at each point. At the centre there is a raised copper-alloy pellet. The field surrounding the central pellet contains red enamel. The lobes do not appear to be enamelled. The cells formed by the border and the arms of the star are filled with blue enamel. However, one of the cells is now completely empty and another cell seems to have blue enamel overlying red enamel (not corrosion). The rear face has a 'D'-shaped pin-lug and a catch-plate. These are on the same alignment. The pin-lug has an iron axis bar and spring mechanism of two turns each side of the lug. There is an internal chord beneath the lug. The catch-plate is incomplete as the curled-over part the secured the pin-tip is missing.
The copper-alloy part of this brooch is generally corroded and green. The enamel is in poor condition and the ironwork is corroded.
Length: 20.6mm; width: 17.1mm; thickness: 2.1mm; thickness including pin-lug: 5.9mm; height of pin-lug: 5.9mm; width of pin-lug and spring mechanism: 7.1mm; height of catch-plate: 7.6mm; width of catch-plate: 1.3mm. Weight: 3.82g.
Similar brooches have been published (Hattatt 1989: 344, fig. 203, refs: 118, 518 and 1409). In Roman Brooch Timeline (2007), Worrell dates flat enamelled disc brooches to AD 80-250.
Hattatt, R. 1989. Ancient Brooches and Other Artefacts. Oxford: Oxbow Books.
Class: Flat, enamelled disc (sexfoil)
Subsequent actions
Current location of find: Finder
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: ROMAN
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: ROMAN
Subperiod to: Late
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Exactly AD 80
Date to: Exactly AD 250
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 20.6 mm
Width: 17.1 mm
Thickness: 5.9 mm
Weight: 3.82 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 8th January 2017 - Sunday 8th January 2017
Personal details
This information is restricted for your access level.
Other reference numbers
Other reference: IOW2017-1-10
Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Secondary material: Iron
Completeness: Incomplete
Surface Treatment: Inlaid with enamel
Spatial metadata
Region: South East (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Isle of Wight (Unitary Authority)
District: Isle of Wight (Unitary Authority)
To be known as: Isle of Wight
Spatial coordinates
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
References cited
| Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hattatt, R. | 1989 | Ancient Brooches and Other Artefacts: A fourth selection of brooches together with some other antiquities from the author | Oxford | Oxbow Books | 344, fig. 203 | 118, 518 and 1409 |
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