BROOCH

An incomplete copper-alloy enameled Roman trumpet brooch dating to AD 75-175 . The brooch is missing its pin and most of the catchplate.

The item comprises the typical sub-circular (trumpet) head which has, on its inside surface, a short upright terminal which is part of the extant, broadly D shape, pierced lug, designed to hold the pin. The front of the head is decorated with three champleve petals, one placed centrally, with another each side. These retain blue enamel. The head then narrows to form the bow, circular in section, which curves forwards and is decorated in the upper part with two incised vertical panels or cells which lie either side of a raised vertical ridge which represents a stem.These panels may also have held enamel but there is none evident now. The bow broadens as it bends towards the vertical, and about half way along its extant length there is a knop or 'button' which is circumferential but which extends mainly forwards, decorated with three petal shapes above, and three below, splayed outwards and creating a ridge where they meet at the widest point of the knop. Three narrow transverse ridges lie below the knop and the bow tapers away below this, decorated to the front with a central spine, either side of which are petal or leaf shape cells. No enamel is evident here.

The bow terminates at this point as the lower bow and foot are missing, broken at an early date. The remains of the upper part of the catchplate are still extant, extending inwards from this lower part of the bow.

It is 40.81mm in length, 16.45mm in width and weighs 12.11g.

See Hattatt (2007) p327 fig186 for this type of brooch.