Copper-alloy, 51.70 grams, 134.5 mm. 6th century AD. An elaborate great square-headed brooch of Hines's Group XIII. The trapezoidal headplate is divided into three fields. At the centre above the bow is a plain rectangular raised panel with bevelled edges surrounded by a narrow border with punched pellet decoration. Outside this is a field of sinuous meander patterning within a simple raised border. Around this is a field of billeted bands with rectangles in the upper corners, decorated with punched pellets; this field is pierced by a series of round apertures in imitation of the openwork type of headplate. The outer border is decorated with punched pellets along the lower, lateral and upper edges; around the rectangular corner panels the punchmarks are formed as roundels with a bifurcated extension. The shallow bow features substantial median and lateral ribs extending to two curved animal-head upper extensions above a cruciform footplate. The median rib bears punched pellet detailing, separating two symmetrical sub-triangular elements with Style I animal decoration, outside wich are plain pear-shaped panels. There are four circular piercings in the animal-head details. A pelleted frame extends from the lower jaw of the animal heads to surround the sub-triangular and pear-shaped panels and the discoid finial lobe. A broad transverse bar separates the lower lobe from the rest of the footplate. The heavy gilding is substantially present across a large part of the surface. The catchplate is fixed to a strengthening rib on the reverse, and the spring-lugs are present with the partial remains of the iron pin still in place. References: Hines, J. A New Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Great Square-Headed Brooches, London, 1997 p.103ff and pl.43b; cf. Neville, R.C. Saxon Obsequies Illustrated by Ornaments and Weapons Discovered by the Hon. R.C. Neville in a Cemetery Near Little Wilbraham, Cambridgeshire During the Autumn of 1851, London, 1852, pl.10 no.158. Published: Hammond, Brett. British Artefacts, volume I - Early Anglo-Saxon. Some repair but overall in beautiful condition. Provenance: from an old 19th century collection, found Cambridgeshire.

Copper-alloy, 47.57 grams, 78.33 mm, 79.89 mm. Circa 6th century AD. This unusual pair of brooches features the pierced edges of the headplates and lobed footplates found on many square-headed brooches in a simplified form. The rectangular headplate is pierced by three keyhole-shaped perforations on each edge; each interstitial is decorated with a small ring-and-dot design. The headplate bears a quincunx of ring-and-dot motifs, the central one with a three-line annulet. The bow is decorated with three vertical ribs. The footplate has two sets of lateral lobes and a fifth one forms the terminal. Each lobe bears a three-annulet ring-and-dot motif. The dorsal line of the footplate bears a series of ring-and-dot motifs (six on one brooch, seven on the other). Both brooches have vestiges of the iron pins. One of the pieces has had a small amount of restoration. The form of these brooches is so far unique, although it clearly mimics the overall layout and profile of the standard forms of square-headed brooches, lacking the chip-carved surface decoration. Reference: compare MacGregor, A. & Bolick, E. A Summary Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections (Non-Ferrous Metals) BAR British Series 230, 1993, p.114 items 13.6, 13.7. Published: Hammond, Brett. British Artefacts, volume I - Early Anglo-Saxon. Extremely fine condition. Ex G. Owen collection. Found Suffolk.

Copper-alloy, 7.30 grams, 51.01 mm. 5th century. A good example of an unusual brooch type. The quadrangular headplate features a central double-roundel flanked by single roundels. The deep carinated bow develops to a long, lozengiform footplate with two double-roundels flanked by more single roundels and a row of three across the finial. The spring-lug and remains of the iron pin are present on the reverse; the attachment point for the ctachplate is visible. Reference: MacGregor, A. & Bolick, E. A Summary Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections (Non-Ferrous Metals), Oxford, 1993, p.122 item 14.5 and cf. Hattatt, R. Brooches of Antiquity, Oxford, 1987 fig.101. Good fine condition. Provenance: found near Norwich, Norfolk, England.