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Disk brooch

Unknown artist, 5th century

The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent

Unique gold disc brooch featuring an animal ornament in high relief. It consists of a base-plate of circular gold sheet with a three-dimensional figures of a crouching feline, being 'bitten' by a pair of fanged-jaw animal heads. Incised decoration on the creatures is used to represent eyes, snouts, mouths and fur. Filigree gold wire is used around the necks of the animal heads and on the brooch border. It is likely to have been imported to Staffordshire from Scandinavia or Germany. Brooches of this kind formed part of female costume in the early Anglo-Saxon period.

More information

Title of artwork, date

Disk brooch, 5th century

Date supported

2006

Medium and material

Gold

Dimensions

Diameter: 1.9 cm

Grant

2125

Total cost

8500

Content note: This object record is part of our archive and has not been updated since it was first published. It may contain inaccurate information or outdated language. Please get in touch if you think this record should be amended.

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