EARLY MEDIEVAL BROOCH

450

Cast copper-alloy miniature radiate-headed brooch, with rounded headplate with projecting top knop, sub-rectangular bow and elongated tapering foot which is broken off towards the terminal. The single lug on the reverse of the headplate has its perforation filled with the remains of a copper-alloy spring/pin.This brooch has been classed as a miniature radiate-headed brooch, due to the semi-circular headplate which is shared with Frankish radiate-headed brooches. However, the headplate on this brooch form does not have the multiple radiating knops around its circumference which gives the radiate brooches their name. Continental brooches of a similar form have been termed 'miniaturefibeln' or miniature brooches. A further study on these small semi-circular headed brooches is needed to understand their relationship with other brooch forms from this period.Barry Ager writes: This brooch appears to be broadly related to Koch's mainly mid to later 5th-century 'Formengruppe Bulles/Lauriacum (Sindelfingen)(II.1), found particularly in northern France and the mid/upper Rhineland region. But there is one example from Bifrons, gr. 16, and a couple from Spain, so it is more western European than anything very specific. The square shape of the bow on this example is rather unusual, so perhaps it is a local version and possibly a bit later in date.