Explore / Online Tours
The five senses
Diameter: 11.400 cm
Part gift of Captain A.W.F. Fuller
M&ME 1952,4-4,1
Room 2
Anglo-Saxon England
The Fuller Brooch
This famous brooch was made nearly 400 years after the one found at Chessell Down. By this time styles had changed as people tried to bring new ideas into their jewellery designs.
If you look at the picture, you can see that the hammered silver has been cleverly decorated with pictures in a black hot liquid metal called niello. These pictures are the earliest we have that show the five senses as people. In the very middle is Sight, with big staring eyes. The other four senses are around him. Can you work out who are Taste, Smell, Touch and Hearing? Click on the picture below left for the answer, and look at the larger picture.