Copper-alloy, 30.24 grams, 117.02 mm. 6th century AD. A finely made great square-headed brooch of Hines's Group XV with some unusual features. The slightly trapezoidal headplate is divided into two fields, each surrounded by a thick, plain border. The outer field features a pair of opposed beasts executed in Salin's Style I with three-band body elements. The inner field is divided into three rectangular designs: the central one is a square with an incised saltire, flanked by two hooked-cross designs with spiral finials. The outer edges of the headplate have narrow extension strips, that on the upper edge decorated with a row of crescentic punchmarks. At each upper corner is a stylized bird-head with pelleted brow-band, pellet eye and coiled beak below. The shallow bow features median and lateral ribs, extending to an elaborate footplate with curved animal-head extensions above a cruciform footplate with a thick border showing signs of the same crescentic punchmarks as on the headplate. The lateral 'wings' terminate in stylized animal-heads with transverse bars bearings crescentic punchmarks. The central lozenge bears two coiled S-shaped features which mimic the coiled hooked-crosses on the headplate. The terminal is an evolved human face extending to the finial: a transverse bar with opposed rows of crescentic punchmarks. The surface of the brooch has been gilded, of which a significant amount remains. The catchplate is in place on the reverse. The spring mechanism is combined with an ancient repair consisting of an iron plate riveted to the obverse behind the lower headplate and the bow; the rivet-heads can be seen on the obverse - one above the left side of the bow, two on the left side of the bow and one more either side of the bow on the rejoined footplate. Reference: Hines, J. A New Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Great Square-Headed Brooches, London, 1997 p.111ff and pl.47a. Published: Hammond, Brett. British Artefacts, volume I - Early Anglo-Saxon. Good very fine condition. Provenance: from an old Austrian collection, found East Anglia.