Trumpet Brooch, Bronze

Romano-British Trumpet Brooch, Bronze

This brooch with wire loop is handcrafted from real bronze with an authentic, functional spring pin and decorative enamel inlays. Delivery with certificate, length ca. 80mm.

Romano-British Trumpet Brooch, Bronze

With the roman conquest of Britain by emperor Claudius since 43 n. Chr., the former celtic culture receives a new stimulus. The import of the "kräftig profilierte" trumpet brooches supports the development of a new type of fibula, where the continental influences are clearly visible. The so-called romano-british trumpet brooches - the name derives from the swelling expansion of the head - existed in many variations, also with splendid decorations from gold or with colourful enamel inlays. Remarkable are the wire loops fitted at the head, which served as attachment for a chain joining a pair. This implies, that two trumpet brooches were often worn together, for example connected by a foxtail- or glas bead chain. Trumpet brooches (or Backworth Brooches called after a find in Britain) with original chains are on display at the British Museum, suggesting a double chain (like the find from Chorley, dated by coins to around 140 AD). It is still under discussion if those brooches were only worn by women, or if they also belong to the soldier´s dress as many single finds from roman forts would suggest.

Our reconstruction bases on an original find from the Saalburg-Museum, Germany, by courtesy of the museum. The rare brooch verifies the contacts to soldiers or civilians from Britain. The brooch is part of the unproven theory that the early Saalburg fort, built from wood, was occupied by a Numerus Brittonum between 90 and 135 AD.

Lit.:
A. Böhme, Englische Fibeln aus den Kastellen Saalburg und Zugmantel, In: Saalburg Jahrbuch  XXVII, 1970