ROMAN BROOCH

150

An almost complete cast copper alloy millefiori enamelled disc brooch dating to the Roman period. The object is circular in plan and flat. The face of the brooch is decorated with millefiori enamelling. The mosaic style decoration consists of rows of alternating blue and white chequerboard panels, and larger square blue and white chequerboard panels within a red border. The outer edge of the brooch is raised to contain the enamelling.At the rear of the object is a double-lug pin loop from which projects the very top of the pin. The catchplate measures 8.06mm in length and is 2.51mm thick. It terminates with an ancient break. The rear of the object has a smooth mid brown patina. The object is in very good condition with slight recent damage on two edges.Disc brooches with millefiori enamelling date to the period c. AD 150-300. A similar example which can be found on the database is Byard, A (2014) BERK-9EC5C6 A ROMAN BROOCH Webpage available at: http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/602749. An almost identical example from Alcester can be found in Bayley and Butcher, (2004), page 130, ill 31 and plate 17. However this example from Cheshire is thinner with smaller and finer milliefiori. There are 11 squares across the diameter as opposed to 9 and it is of better quality workmanship.''Milefiori is the name used to describe small polychrome patterns in glass. These are made by arranging glass rods of various colours side by side, heating them just enough to fuse them and stretching the bundle of rods into a long thin cane. When cold slices can be cut from the cane and used as part of enamelled designs'', (ibid).