Roman Panther Brooch, Silver

Roman panther brooch

During the construction of the Römerpassage, a shopping centre in the city centre of Mainz, the foundations of Roman buildings were uncovered during excavation work. On the basis of various finds, curse tablets, statuettes, etc., the remains of an Isis sanctuary could be identified. Throughout the Greco-Roman world, the cult of Isis became an important mystery religion, with many ancient writers reporting on its temples, ceremonies and rites. The worship of Isis continued until the suppression of pagan cults by the Christian Church. On the island of Philae, the last sanctuary was closed in the 6th century.
The Mainz finds also include a fragmented Roman animal brooch from the 2nd century in the shape of a reclining feline predator. It is decorated with several enamel inlays in red and blue. The distribution area of this type of brooch is mainly limited to sites along the Rhine and in the province of Gaul, but individual pieces are also known from Britain, Asia and Africa. The predatory cat is identified by a dot pattern as a leopard, which was placed next to the god of wine Bacchus (Greek Dionysus).The reconstruction of the piece was carried out on the basis of better preserved comparative pieces.

Our reconstruction is made of high quality 925 silver and has multi-coloured inlays of genuine enamel glass. A flexible iron pin on the back makes the piece fully functional. Length approx. 40mm.