BROOCH 596494

Description: An incomplete copper-alloy enamelled Roman umbonate plate brooch dating to the period c. AD 100 - 200. The brooch is circular in plan and features a circular knop the reverse side of which retains the remnant of the catchplate. The knop features a ring and dot decoration of alternating circular grooves and ridges on its obverse. Directly opposite the knop on the edge of the plate is an old break indicating that there would have been another knop on this side. The obverse of the plate features a central circular convex protrusion made up of a series of concentric ridges. At the centre is a raised knop containing a circle of blue enamel inlay measuring 1.98mm in diameter. This is surrounded by a plain metal border which forms a ridge between this and the next layer. The total diameter of the raised central knop is 5.07mm. Eleven crescent shaped incised petals, some of which feature the remnants of a white substance which may have been enamel. The central floral design is contained by a plain recessed band. The remainder of the disc plate is decroated by six recessed cells all broadly semi circular in shape. Four of the six cells feature a design made up of between five and seven pellets surrounded by an inlay of blue enamel and with a plain border. The two remaining petals sit directly below the surviving knop and are slightly smaller than the other four. They both feature a leaf shaped design eith between one and three punched annulets surrounded by blue enamel. The fields surrounded the six petals are all broadly semi-circular and feature between five and seven pellets in each field surrounded by a white material which may be traces of enamel. This is surrounded by a plain border which forms the edge of the brooch. At the point where there is an old break indicating the presence of a second knop there is a patch of red discolouration which indicates the remains of a rivet. The rivet hole with the remains of the rivet in situ are visible on the reverse of the brooch and are the remains of the lug. The reverse of the brooch is undecorated and features a central concave depression 4.02mm deep. The brooch measures 38.74mm in diameter (not including surviving knop) and weighs 24.73g. The brooch is similar in design to Hattatt, pp. 350, fig. 209, no. 131.

Date: 100 - 200

Object type: BROOCH

Last import: August 15, 2017