EARLY MEDIEVAL BROOCH

450

Anglo-Saxon cast copper alloy button brooch with a gilt surface. This brooch is an example of Avent and Evison Class Ai. The brooch is 19.26 mm in diameter, has a maximum thickness of 5.29mm and weighs 4.04 grams. The brooch is worn and corroded on the raised decoration, with gilding remaining only in the recesses on the brooch and on the decorative border. Button brooches are circular in shape and resemble miniature saucer brooches, although the relationship between these two brooch classes is not clear. This example has a missing rim with damaged edges. The upper face is decorated with a face-mask motif, which is comprised of 7 different elements. There is a pointed helmet with upturned ends, with a series of circular punchmarks running along its length. Immediately below the helmet are curved eyebrows with upturned ends, and is joined in the centre to a wide nose that flairs out at the nostrils. The eyes are small and rounded with curved, well placed eye-rings below. The cheeks are full and almost completely rounded. The face has a wide, open mouth, however the exact shape of the mouth elements are unclear due to corrosion. There is further decoration surrounding the face-mask, which is comprised of a flat decorative border containing two rings of small circular punchmarks. The reverse of the brooch has the remains of a pin lug and a ctachplate, both of which are surrounded by iron corrosion which implies that an iron pin was originally attached to the brooch. The pin was positioned across the face at a slight angle, with the pin lug at 101 degrees and the catchplate at 281 degrees; these angles correspond to the face of the brooch as opposed to the reverse so they are comparable with the measurements from Avent and Evison’s research.