EARLY MEDIEVAL BROOCH

410

Pair of cruciform brooch feet. One is of lead (1), broken off at top of animal head just above the eyes, both very pronounced, tapering to a disc held within the mouth. Part of a lead model? Length 37mm, width of disc 8.5mm. The second of bronze (2), broken off just above the ears. The eyes survive close to the edges but the mouth/snout is poorly preserved, although apparently cross-shaped. The underside is cast with a slight hollow recess. Length 36mm, max. width 15mm.Helen Geake writes: From the Polaroid image, it appears that the dimensions of the lead brooch fragment have been incorrectly quoted. The image of the copper-alloy fragment does indeed measure 36 x 15 mm, but the lead fragment appears to be closer to 31 x 12.5 mm. The publication of the lead fragment, in Medieval Archaeology for 2005, has a drawing taken from the Polaroid image by Kevin Leahy.