Asset number
771610001
Description
Cast silver disc brooch consisting of a dished plate, covered in Borre-style interlace and with three-dimensional animal and human figures; riveted to the plate is a central openwork boss and four free-standing quadrupeds. The disc has a raised beaded border, within which is a diagonally-hatched band with a beaded inner edge. The Borre-style zoomorphic interlace has four mask-like heads around the base of the central knob, and eight heads in profile touching the border; all the bands are double-contoured with nicked edges to imitate beaded wires. The openwork central knob has eight projecting animal-heads; it is held in place by a pair of rivets, with ring-shaped washers on the reverse of the brooch. The legs of the four free-standing quadrupeds penetrate the disc to secure them in place; they are backward-looking, with tongues extending to touch their backs, and openwork hindquarters. They alternate with four inward-looking figures cast on the border of the brooch. Two of these are squatting humans, with arms passing under their outward-turned knees and hands gripping what may be forked beards that jut out from under the chins of their pear-shaped faces. The other two are animal-heads on forequarters with raised paws gripping a bar held in the mouth; they have projecting ears and a head-lappet. The reverse has a cast textile impression of diamond twill, with a plain border, and a U-shaped pin-attachment with a clasp for the silver pin at the top. At the bottom is a T-shaped attachment-loop. One small casting flaw in the disc has been plugged.
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