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LOT 0333
Large Anglo-Saxon Bronze Great Square-Headed Brooch
LATE 5TH-6TH CENTURY A.D.
5 1/2 in. (72 grams, 13.9 cm).
Comprising a rectangular headplate with openwork masks to the outer edge, imprint of fabric to the central panel; shallow bow with three vertical ribs; lappets below the bow, footplate developing to a triangular facing mask with domed eyes and concentric triangles, openwork finial with pelta-shaped panel; pin-lug and catch with ancient repair to the reverse.
ProvenanceFound Seaham, Co Durham, UK.
Property of a Durham private collector.
Cf. MacGregor, A. & Bolick, E., A Summary Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections (Non-Ferrous Metals), Oxford, 1993, item 14.3, for type.
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AUCTIONS:
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Anglo-Saxon Bronze Applied Disc Brooch
Circa 5th-6th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £293
Discoid in plan with pin-lug, chord, pin and catch to the reverse; applied rim secured by four domed rivets; low-relief hexafoil motif with interstitial ring-and-dot motifs, segmented border. 16.9 grams, 48 mm
Found Cambridgeshire, UK. Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From the private collection of an Essex gentleman.
Applied brooches are a recognised form of early Anglo-Saxon costume, associated mostly with Saxon areas such as Sussex and the Thames valley. The majority of such brooches are made up from a plain backplate with the pin and catch attached, and a thin front plate with repoussé ornament. The present example appears to be formed as a decorative body with an applied rim; there is evidence for this construction technique in the form of two unassociated rims from a grave at Fairford (Gloucestershire) (MacGregor & Bolick, item 1.39). -
Anglo-Saxon Bronze Gammadion Disc Brooch
6th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Disc brooch with four L-shaped voids spaced to form a reserved swastika motif, band of punched pellets to the rim, remains of the pin-lug and catchplate to the reverse. 20 grams, 41 mm
Found East Anglia, UK.
The swastika, also known as a gammadion, was an ancient sun symbol that is commonly found in many cultures across the Northern hemisphere. In the Viking period it was associated with Thor and is commonly found on rune-stones and amulets connected to him. -
Anglo-Saxon Bronze Disc Brooch with Beast Facing Back
900-1000 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Discoid in plan with low-relief regardant beast within a beaded border, remains of lug and catch to reverse. 6.78 grams, 28 mm
Found near Great Wilbraham, Cambridgeshire, UK, on Sunday 1st September 2024. Acquired on the UK art market. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme Report no.SF-0A4178.
