BROOCH

A fragment of copper alloy circular brooch, of late early-medieval or early high-medieval date (perhaps 850-1200 AD). It is slightly convex, undecorated and smooth to the reverse and depicts the upper half of a chip-carved bird (possibly a raven) in relief to the front.

The raised relief retains a grey or silvery surface coating, in contrast to the lighter green-blue of the rest of the object. The bird has a pronounced curve to its beak and directly below is a broken annulet. The head of the bird is oval in shape with a possible sub-circular opening in the silvery surface coating for an eye (although this may equally possibly be damage/ wear). Above the head four short linear ribs/ pellets extend from the edge; these may have continued all the way around the edge but subsequently lost through wear.

The body is diagonally arranged and sub-rectangular in shape, with a small triangular protrusion extending from the back towards the edge of the object. This may represent a very small wing or perhaps unknown objects in the field. It appears to extend into an amorphous shape flanking the curved edge of the object. The body is otherwise terminated by the break, which appears to be relatively old. There is no trace to the reverse of a catchplate or fastening mechanism.

The fragment measures 22.7mm in length, 11.5mm in max.width, 2.4mm in max.thickness and weighs 2.76g. Its original diameter would have been c.25mm.

Although there is a type of circular brooch decorated with a bird in Weetch 2013, Weetch type 7, none of Weetch's examples are anything like this current example (Weeetch 2013, nos. 442-445).

Compare NMS-C14737, a complete brooch with a similar bird, but which is decorated with enamel. This has been dated to the 12th century due to the enamelling.