BROOCH

An incomplete copper alloy Roman plate brooch dating to the 2nd Century AD. The brooch is zoomorphic, and is in the shape of a rabbit or hare. The animal has a long thin head to the right, with a long snout. There is an incised line down the centre of the snout representing the mouth. The head widens slightly towards the body, in the centre of the head is a circular indentation representing the eye. The ovoid shaped ear projects out behind the head, as if the animal was running. Running across the centre of the ear is a groove. The brooch widens out into the neck, before widening further into the body, which is subtriangular in shape. At the lower corner there is a rectangular projection representing the leg or foot of the brooch. At the left corner the brooch is worn and broken, the brooch would have originally have extended into the rest of the body, the back leg and tail of the animal. The body is divided into two cells, there is a raised border running around the edge of the body and neck, and dividing the two cells. The two cells would probably have originally held decoration inside, such as enamel.

On the reverse is the attachment, only the catchplate remains behind the neck of the animal. This is rectangular in shape, the outside edge is folded over slightly to hold the pin. The pin and hinge is now missing. The brooch has a dark green patina, and measures 29.1mm in length, 13.5mm in width, 1.8mm in thickness and weighs 2.04g.

Similar brooches can been seen in Hattatt 2000, page 362.