Object Description
A finely modelled Roman bronze, skeuomorphic, plate brooch, featuring an intricate openwork design in the form of an axe. The brooch consists of a rectangular shaped shaft, incised with a triangular motif down the centre. To the top is an oval knob and at the base, a stepped foot and smaller rounded knob. On the right-hand side of the shaft, the brooch features a triangular protrusion, connected to an S-shaped loop, which ends in a curl. This forms the handle of the axe. On the left side of the shaft is another protrusion, curled at both ends with a straight, notched edge. This forms the blade of the axe. There is a catch plate and hinge to the reverse, but the pin is now lost.
Date: Circa AD 150 – 225