Roman Bronze Crossbow Brooch

Composed of a pelta-shaped pendant (lunula) attached to a drop hanger decorated with concentric circles, the central one with remains of light blue and crimson enamel. 5.79 grams, 60 mm



Found Yorkshire, UK, in 2022. Property of a Yorkshire gentleman.

Horse harness pendants were often characterised by lunulae (small moons, i.e. pelta-shaped artefacts) and drop hangers. They were decorated with enamels of different colours.

Each a D-section disc with central triskele and coiled arms, segmented detailing to the outer face. 340 grams total, 10-10.2 cm



From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.

The two mounts are elements of horse harness decorating the antilena and postilena of the horse, as intersection fittings of the main straps. According to Alfoldi, these horse harnesses were the product of a metallurgy that was the fruit of a Gallo-Roman revival, and not exclusively of military nature. The military adopted similar elements fruit of the revival of this Celtic-Roman decorative art, since such harnesses have also been discovered in border fortresses. But the large industrial centers, which worked for export, manufactured objects primarily for the Danubian regions where both the soldiers and the civilian population, without distinction of class, used them as habitual objects.

Comprising a gold dangle with applied garnet cabochon. 0.17 grams, 8 mm



Ex property of a late Japanese collector, 1970s-2000s.