Copper-alloy, 7.10 grams, 63.22 mm. 7th-8th century AD. An unusual example of a lozenge plate brooch with a ‘brickwork’ effect on the border and a cruciform arrangement of four zoomorphs reserved against the central panel. The copper-alloy casting retains most of the pin’s spring at the top. The majority of these brooches have La Tène or geometric designs on the central panels, whereas this one has zoomorphs with radiating borders and random point decoration - features which are found in Anglo-Saxon Trewhiddle Style metalwork. A brooch of this type can be seen worn by Mary on a panel from the Book of Kells, an Irish manuscrpt of circa 800 AD. The spring which forms the pin is present at the top of the plate, and the hooked catch is present at the bottom. Reference: Hattatt does not list this particular type; although he includes lozenge-shaped plate brooches, they are all 2nd century Roman with hinged pins, whereas this example has a sprung pin formed integrally and its decoration places it in the Middle Saxon period - see Hattatt, R. A Visual Catalogue of Richard Hattatt's Ancient Brooches, Reprinted Oxford, 2000 fig.207-8. Published: Hammond, Brett. British Artefacts, volume 2 - Middle Saxon & Viking, Witham, 2010. Good very fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection, found East Anglia, England.