Rights Holder: Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology
CC License: 
Image use policy
Our images can be used under a CC BY attribution licence (unless stated otherwise).
BROOCH
Unique ID: ASHM-AE1E31
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
An incomplete Roman enamelled copper-alloy plate brooch in the form of a horse and rider, dating to the period c.AD 200-400. The form of the brooch is complete, but the pin and some enamel are missing.
The brooch depicts a horse advancing right with a rider leaning backwards at an angle, possbily suggesting motion. The eyes of both horse and rider are indicated by circular indentations; the horse's mane is indicated by a series of grooves at the top of the head and, more faintly, the back of the neck. The brooch is decorated with four cells, all filled with enamel. The front cell and rear of a long, narrow cell following the base of the horse's body and rear leg contain blue enamel (some is missing at the rear), the others - the front of the lower body cell, an elongate cell following the front of the rider's torse, and a small cell behind this - are filled with red enamel.
NEEDS WEIGHT
Notes:
Bayley and Butcher (2004, 175) note that the quality of this design of brooch is variable (see Hattatt 2000, 359; fig. 218). They state that there are strong indications of a religious connection with this brooch type, with significant quantities being found at temple sites (ibid., 175-176). Catherine Johns (1996, 173-174) suggests that these brooches may depict a Romano-Celtic rider god (perhaps Mars conflated with a local deity), and may have been bought from shrines as the Roman equivalent of medieval pilgrim badges. DF Mackreth (2011, 181-182) also says these brooches are related to a cult and that there were two centres: Somerset-Wiltshire (temple site Cold Kitchen Hill, Brixton Deverill) and Suffolk-Norfolk-Cambridgeshire (shrine at Hockwold-cum-Wilton).
This example is almost exactly paralleled by WILT-EB1156.
Find of note status
This is a find of note and has been designated: County / local importance
Class: zoomorphic (horse and rider)
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 200
Date to: Circa AD 400
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Height: 2.5 mm
Width: 3 mm
Personal details
This information is restricted for your access level.
Other reference numbers
Other reference: ASHMBD605
Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Secondary material: Enamel
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
Spatial metadata
Region: South East (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Oxfordshire (County)
District: Vale of White Horse (District)
To be known as: Childrey
Spatial coordinates
Grid reference source: Centred on field
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
References cited
| Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayley, J. and Butcher, S. | 2004 | Roman Brooches in Britain: A Technological and Typological Study Based on the Richborough Collection | London | The Society of Antiquaries | |||
| Johns, C. | 1996 | The Jewellery of Roman Britain: Celtic and Classical Traditions | UCL Press | ||||
| Mackreth, D.F. | 2011 | Brooches in Late Iron Age and Roman Britain | Oxford | Oxbow Books |
Similar objects
Find number: SUR-8BC917
Object type: BROOCH
Broadperiod: ROMAN
A Roman copper alloy plate brooch of horse and rider type. The brooch, which is crudely modelled and somewhat worn, has two cells containing …
Workflow: Awaiting validation
Find number: WILT-1130A1
Object type: BROOCH
Broadperiod: ROMAN
An incomplete Roman copper alloy and enamel horse and rider brooch, missing the rear of the horse, the lug and with a damaged catchplate. The…
Workflow: Published
Find number: SUR-0387B6
Object type: BROOCH
Broadperiod: ROMAN
A Roman copper-alloy enamelled plate brooch depicting a horse and rider going right. The brooch has seven cells for enamel, which is now all …
Workflow: Awaiting validation
Timeline of associated dates
About Us
About our Site
Find us
The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG.
T: +44(0) 20 73238618