Anglo-Saxon Bronze Cruciform Brooch with Horse-Head Terminal

With raised flange rim, tondo with raised border and four radiating Style I profile heads around a central stud; pin-lug and catch to reverse. 17.8 grams, 39 mm



Found East Anglia, UK. From an old private collection of Norfolk, UK, gentleman, formed since 1998.

With head knobs cast in one with the plate, side lugs below the arches and foot moulded with a stylised human head. 71 grams, 11.9 cm



Found UK. From a North Yorkshire, UK, private collection. Acquired from Adam Partridge Auctioneers, Macclesfield, UK. Property of Mr A.B., an American collector.

The long brooch is of developed Anglian cruciform type, originally possibly fitted with iron sprung pin of type G. The specimen shows an evolution from the Gothic crossbow type: especially in England, the knobs of the cruciform type brooches were cast integrally with the head-plate, which became larger and the bow below the arched section sprouted bronze lugs.

Comprising a large cruciform brooch and two bronze small-long brooches; (A) the cruciform of 'florid' type much gilding and applied silver ornament; the headplate a central rectangle with a high-relief Style I motif, framed on three sides by sheet-silver bands and with panels of gilt billeting to the outer edges, lateral and upper flanges each formed as a stylised male face with conical eyes flanked by avian heads and with a T-shaped sheet-silver beard; the bow broad and flat with vertical columns of punched-pot detailing, and surmounted at the apex by a square panel with green enamel fill and reserved quatrefoil; the lower body with similar panel to the headplate with lateral vertical bands with punched detailing, outer edges with applied sheet-silver panels; below, the foot formed as a stern male face with heavy brows and conical eyes developing to a broad pelta-shaped finial with Style I ornament inside a raised border, lateral avian heads and punched detailing; to the reverse, a ferrous lump attached to the pin-lug and feint solder-scar where the catch was attached; some traces of mineralised fabric; (B) bronze small-long brooch with rectangular headplate divided into three panels, each with punched-point to the outer edges, shallow bow, narrow neck to the footplate with transverse ribbing, trapezoidal foot with punched-point edging; to the reverse, a large pin-lug with ferrous accretion and a small hooked catch below; (C) bronze small-long brooch with rectangular headplate flanked on three sides by T-shaped extensions with stepped profile, incised borderlines and punched pellets; deep carinated bow with stepped corners; pelta-shaped foot with punched pellets to the edges; to the reverse, a D-shaped pin-lug with ferrous accretion inside the bow, narrow catch with hooked edge absent. 225 grams total, 6.3-17.5 cm



Found East Anglia, UK, early 1990s. Accompanied by a written report compiled by Anglo-Saxon specialist Stephen Pollington. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12287-221153.

The group belongs to a standard assemblage in 6th century female graves, with two smaller brooches worn at the shoulders to support a peplos dress, and a larger and more ornamental brooch worn on the chest to close a shawl or mantle.