Brooch
600-700 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The ornate and colourful decoration on this brooch consists of cloisons (cells) inlaid with garnets and blue glass paste. The front is further enriched with filigree wires. The garnets themselves were possibly obtained by sea trade from India.
A brooch like this is an elaborate form of safety pin, with the pin hidden on the back of a decorative disk. Women who could afford it would wear such a brooch to close a cloak or veil over their chest. This brooch was found at the Kings Field, Faversham, Kent. This anglo-saxon cemetery is famous for the large number of extremely rich grave finds uncovered during the construction of a railway in the nineteenth century.
A brooch like this is an elaborate form of safety pin, with the pin hidden on the back of a decorative disk. Women who could afford it would wear such a brooch to close a cloak or veil over their chest. This brooch was found at the Kings Field, Faversham, Kent. This anglo-saxon cemetery is famous for the large number of extremely rich grave finds uncovered during the construction of a railway in the nineteenth century.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Filigree, gold and silver-gilt, inlaid garnet slips and blue glass paste |
| Brief description | A filigree disc brooch consisting of a silver-gilt back plate with a gold front plate. The cloisons (cells) on the front are are inlaid with garnet slips and blue glass paste. The front is further enriched with filigree wires. |
| Physical description | A filigree disc brooch consisting of a silver-gilt back plate with a gold front plate. The cloisons (cells) on the front are are inlaid with garnet slips and blue glass paste. The front is further enriched with filigree wires. Some of the cloisons have lost their inlay and the pin on the back is missing. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Gallery label | BROOCH
Silver set with gold filigree and garnet and lapis inlay
Jutish; 6th century
From Faversham |
| Object history | Transferred from the BM in 1939. It was originally purchased by the BM at a sale in 1895. Historical significance: This brooch was found at the Kings Field, Faversham, Kent. This cemetery is famous for the large number of extremely rich grave finds, unfortunately none recorded to modern standards. |
| Historical context | A brooch is an elaborate form of safety pin. In this case, the pin is hidden on the back of a decorative disk. Women who could afford it would wear such a brooch to close a cloak or veil over their chest. |
| Summary | The ornate and colourful decoration on this brooch consists of cloisons (cells) inlaid with garnets and blue glass paste. The front is further enriched with filigree wires. The garnets themselves were possibly obtained by sea trade from India. A brooch like this is an elaborate form of safety pin, with the pin hidden on the back of a decorative disk. Women who could afford it would wear such a brooch to close a cloak or veil over their chest. This brooch was found at the Kings Field, Faversham, Kent. This anglo-saxon cemetery is famous for the large number of extremely rich grave finds uncovered during the construction of a railway in the nineteenth century. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.110-1939 |
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| Record created | June 2, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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