BROOCH

A fragment of Aesica or Rosette type brooch. Of composite construction, only the lower section comprising a short section of bow, an expanded "winged" foot and a catchplate remain. There are breaks top and bottom and at one side of the foot, so it is difficult to be certain of the original shape. At the top the the bow is oval in cross section with the remnant of a lug at either side. One lug is slightly better surviving than the other an appears to retain part of a circular recess. The bow is decorated with a groove and ridge along the side and it tapers to the foot. There is a circular sectioned copper alloy rivet set at the centre of the bow, probably for the attachment of another, upper, part of the brooch. The foot flarese out from the bow and was originally symmetrical. It was broadly triangular, forming two tapering wings, the more complete of which (on the right) terminantes in a raised circular collet, recessed for enamel. The foot is also recessed with incised "keying" to take enamel. Specks of pale blue enamel are visible through an hand lens (x30). At the base of the foot there is a broken projection, oval in cross section. At the rear is an incomplete flaring catchplate set longitudinally along the centre of the foot and extending as a low ridge along the rear of the bow.
Date: Late Iron Age to Roman - c. AD 25 - 75
Dimensions: 36.20 mm x 21.40 mm x 7.00 mm
Weight: 7.05 g

A similar brooches are recorded in PAS database records HAMP-73A142, LIN- A03722 and DOR-8B62A6