Silver-gilt, 24.42 grams, 91.22 mm. Circa 6th century AD. A cast silver bow brooch with gilt surface and fine detailing. The headplate is formed as a broad semicircle with central D-shaped motif surrounded by an undulating line; to the outer edge, six collared knops with ribbed detailing. The bow is a vertical carinated block, hollow to the reverse, flanked by two facetted bosses with discoid surrounds. The footplate is formed as a human figure with ovoid head within a frame, raised arms and loose robe; beside the waist are two further facetted bosses and the body is filled with concentric borders. To the reverse, the pin-lug and catchplate are in place. The brooch has two unusual design features and one unusual functional feature: the human head and arms replace the more usual animal-head terminal; the even number of knops to the headplate (three, five and seven are more usual); the obstructed bow which could not have accepted a fold of cloth behind it (the original function of the bow). It is lilely that the brooch was not used to pin a cloak or shawl at the shoulder, but was rather used in the 6th century Frankish fashion as a closure for the female outer coat. Reference: Les Francs: Precurseurs de l'Europe, Paris, 1997 item 237 and Curta, F. Once Again on Bow Fibulae of the "Pietroasele Type" (Werner’s Class I F) in Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hung. vol.59, 2008. Extremely fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.

Silver-gilt, 11.71 grams, 66.65 mm. Circa 5th-6th century AD. A Gothic radiate-headed bow brooch comprising a D-shaped headplate with five flat, radiating lobes, its panel decorated with opposed scrolls; the bow formed with three prominent vertical ribs; the triangular footplate with opposed scroll decoration in the central panel and elliptical decoration along the outer edges; the finial formed as a flat lobe with transverse ribbing; iron pin missing as normal. References: cf. Menghin, The Merovingian Period: Europe Without Borders, Berlin, 2007 (Kerch, Ukraine, p.303). Extremely fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.

Copper-alloy, 23.90 grams, 102.66 mm. 5th-6th century AD. Radiate-headed bow brooches are associated with the Merovingian Franks, and occur in England in areas with a Frankish presence either through trade or marriage ties. The present example has the standard D-shaped headplate with a D-shaped medial panel with zigzag decorations, surrounded by a border of zigzags within a border of pellets. The outer edge features seven lobed extensions, each set with a cabochon garnet [replaced]. The shallow bow bears a central ridge with ring-and-dot motifs flanked by two billeted panels. The parallel-sided footplate continues the central ridge with ring-and-dot designs, flanked by a panels of zigzag decoration. At the lower end the ridge evolves into a pair of voided ellipses above a transverse band of zigzag design. On the reverse, the catchplate is in place and the pin-lugs are encased in a ferrous encrustation from the corrosion of the pin. The garnets have not all been set to the same depth due to variations in the casting, giving some a darker coloration than others. Reference: cf. a slightly simpler variant in West. S. A Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Finds From Suffolk, East Anglian Archaeology 84, Ipswich, 1998 pl.VIII(2)and cf. the example from Weimar (Germany) in Menghin, W. The Merovingian Period. Europe Without Borders, München, 2007, item V.3.1.1. Published: Hammond, Brett. British Artefacts, volume 1 - Early Anglo-Saxon. Restored, otherwise in good very fine condition. Provenance: found Lincolnshire, England. [No export licence will be granted for this item, UK sale only]

Silver-gilt, 7.25 grams, 64.53 mm. Circa 5th-6th century AD. A Frankish bow brooch with radiate headplate and two small knops and a larger central one, slender bow, lozengiform footplate with knops at the lateral apices and collared knop finial, the head and footplate decorated with radiating chip-carved triangles; iron pin missing. Reference: cf. Menghin, The Merovingian Period: Europe Without Borders,/em>, Berlin, 2007 (Reinsdorf grave 3). Extremely fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.

Silver, 10.69 grams, 39.96 mm. 5th century AD. A classic form of early Anglo-Saxon bow-brooch in which the head- and footplate are mirror images of each other. This is a rather small example with opposed spiral and billet decoration on the outer plates, volute motif on the base of the bow and paired pellet motif on the central field of the bow, which is pierced in two places. Reference: MacGregor, A. & Bolick, E. A Summary Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections (Non-Ferrous Metals) BAR British Series 230, 1993, p.151 item 18.1. Published: Hammond, Brett. British Artefacts, volume I - Early Anglo-Saxon. One arm restored, otherwise very fine condition. From a deceased estate, ex Mitchell collection.

Silver gilt, 4.20 grams, 28.71 mm. 6th century AD. A bird-shaped plate brooch of the popular Frankish 'Vogelfibel' type. The zoomorph comprises a convex-sided central panel with billeted surface, surmounted by a roundel cell for the eye and a hooked beak; to one side is the stylized claw; beneath is a transverse rectangular cell. Both cells are provided with a gold foil backing which would add sparkle to the cloison garnets which were originally set into the cells (both garnets subsequently lost). The heavy gilding is in excellent condition. The pin-lug and catchplate are in place on the reverse but the iron pin is missing; curiously, the catchplate is placed at the top of the brooch and the pin hinged from behind the tail, the reverse of normal practice. Bird-brooches were popular with high-status Frankish females in the earlier 6th century AD and the fashion was adopted by neighbouring peoples such as the Cantware in Kent. Reference: Menghin, W. The Merovingian Period. Europe Without Borders, p.464 item VII.10.24. Extremely fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection. This antiquity is accompanied by an XRF metal test certificate from Oxford X-ray Fluorescence Ltd.

Silver-gilt, 4.06 grams, 47.41 mm. Circa 5th-6th century AD. A delicate Frankish bow brooch with a radiate headplate surmounted by a collared knop, decorated with addorsed spirals, developing into a slender bow with a median line of punched annulets and triangular footplate with collared animal-head finial. Reference: cf. Menghin, The Merovingian Period: Europe Without Borders, Berlin, 2007 (Reinsdorf grave 3). Good very fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.

Silver-gilt, 27.53 grams, 98.44-96.36 mm. Circa late 5th century AD. A large matched pair of silver-gilt radiate-headed brooches. Each brooch is formed with a D-shaped headplate with chip-carved opposed spiral designs and three half-round balustered knops. The bow is narrow and carinated with a deep arch. The footplate is lozengiform with chip-carved concentric lozenge motifs, two lateral knops and beast-head finial. To the reverse, the pin-lugs and catchplate are in place. Reference: cf. similar brooches from Kerch, Ukraine in Menghin, W. The Merovingian Period - Europe Without Borders, Berlin, 2007 items I.8.7, I.8.8. Extremely fine condition, one with old repair. Provenance: from an old English collection.

Silver-gilt, 6.85 grams, 31.05-31.26 mm. Circa later 5th century AD. A pair of cast silver-gilt radiate-headed bow brooches, each comprising a D-shaped headplate with chip-carved detail, three half-round knops, a shallow bow, a rectangular footplate with transverse rib detail and lobe foot. To the reverse of each, the pin-lugs and catchplate are in place. These miniature brooches were used to secure swags of beads to garments and to fasten clothing in light fabrics. Reference: cf. miniature radiate-headed bow brooches from Schwarz-Rheindorf published in Menghin, W. The Merovingian Period - Europe Without Borders, Berlin, 2007 item VII.48.3. Extremely fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.

Silver, 24.66 grams, 62.57 mm. Circa 5th-6th century AD. A beautifully preserved silver crossbow brooch from the Merovingian Period. The crossbar has two diamond-section terminals which retain the double-coiled spring which extends into the pin, resting behind the catchplate. The bow connects to the cross bar between the spring coils and is formed with lateral ribs forming a v-section central groove. A transverse bar forms a broad-armed cross with and expanding tail, which returns behind the face-plate to form the catchplate. This type of brooch originates from the East Germanic re-settlers of the Black Sea coastal regions in the 5th-6th centuries AD. Reference: Ribakov, B.A., Makarova, T.I. & Pletneva, S.A. Crimea, the North - East Black Sea Coast and Transcaucasia to an Epoch of the Middle Ages catalogue items. III.8.1, 13.3.3. Extremely fine condition. Ex old European collection.

Copper-alloy, 6.28 grams, 40.43 mm. Circa 8th-9th century AD. A cast copper-alloy caterpillar brooch, D-shaped in section with five transverse ribs. To the reverse, the pin-lugs and catchplate are present. Reference: Hammond, B. British Artefacts, vol. 2, Witham, 2010 items1.1.1-g. Fine condition. Provenance: found Bedfordshire, UK.

Gilt copper-alloy, 10.98 grams, 38.99 mm. 10th-11th century AD. A lozengiform plate brooch with radiating floral decoration, heavily gilded. At the centre and at the middle of each of the sides is placed a large silver domed rivet, forming a quincunx pattern. The pin and pin-lug are in place on the reverse; the attachment point for the missing catchplate can be discerned. The decoration of the brooch is typical of the Late Anglo-Saxon Winchester Style, seen in manuscripts such as the Ramsey Psalter. Prominent domed rivets are found on contemporary high-status objects such as the Sutton (Isle of Ely) brooch. Reference: Backhouse, J., Turner, D.H., Webster, L. The Golden Age of Anglo-Saxon Art 966-1066, London, 1984. Good fine condition. Provenance: found Suffolk, England.

Silver-gilt, 39.36 grams, 66.65 mm. 5th century AD. A finely made example of an Ostrogothic style bow brooch. The sub-triangular headplate is constructed as a semicircular panel adjacent to the top of the bow, decorated with chip-carved running spirals. Three smaller semicircular panels radiate from this, each decorated with three roundels within collars. A surrounding strip bears chip-carved key-step decoration, extending to above the upper panel where a discoid lobe bears spiral joining the border. There are symmetrically placed quadrangular slots parallel to the outer edges. The bow features three heavy moulded ribs with longitudinal detailing, between which are panels of key-step decoration. The footplate shows designs mirroring those on the headplate, but lacking the lobed features; the remains of two circular piercings are evident on the lower edge which was broken in antiquity. A brooch (accession number 1905,0520.193) of the same overall form but lacking the extravagant chip-carving and gilding of the present piece is in the British Museum, acquired at from the Delamain Collection Herpes (Charente, France) but of Ostrogothic origin. Reference: The Herpes cemetery was poorly documented at the time of excavation, but is discussed in Effros, B. Merovingian Mortuary Archaeology and the Making of the Early Middle Ages, Berkeley, 2003. Part lost in antiquity, otherwise extremely fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection, found continental Europe. This antiquity is accompanied by an XRF metal test certificate from Oxford X-ray Fluorescence Ltd.

Copper-alloy, 2.89 grams, 37.14 mm. Circa 6th century AD. A cast copper-alloy plate brooch in the form of a stylised bird in profile with large disc eye, recurved beak, elliptical body, forked tail. To the right side is placed the stylised claw. The wing area is filled with geometric linear design. To the reverse, the catchplate and pin-lugs are in place. Brooches of this type depicting a single bird in profile with folded wing, are found in areas associated with the Merovingian Franks and among their neighbours; they were worn by high-status females as part of their formal costume. Reference: Menghin, W. The Merovingian Period - Europe Without Borders, Berlin, 2007 item VII.17.18 and cf. West, S. A Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Finds From Suffolk, East Anglian Archaeology 84, Ipswich, 1998 item 23(7). Extremely fine condition. Provenance: found Nottinghamshire, UK.

Silver-gilt and garnet, 5.73/5.34 grams, 34.35/34.37 mm. Circa 6th century AD. A pair of cast silver brooches in the form of stylised birds with hooked beaks and scrolled bodies. The eyes, wings and tails are formed by garnets set en cloison. On the reverse, the pin-lugs and catchplates are in place (the pins lost in antiquity). Paired bird brooches are a classic form of garment closure used by the Merovingian Franks and also found in neighbouring territories, such as Kent. The gilding is heavy and still largely present on both brooches. Although the brooches are not large, the use of substantial single garnet pieces to complete the design suggests a wealthy patron. Reference: Menghin, W. The Merovingian Period - Europe Without Borders, Berlin, 2007 items VII.10.21-24 and cf. Hammond, B. British Artefacts vol.1 - Early Anglo-Saxon, Witham, 2010 items 1.1.2-a, b. Near extremely fine condition, one wing garnet chipped and one eye garnet cracked but complete. Provenance: from an old English collection.

Silver-gilt, 3.62 grams, 46.70 mm. 5th-6th century AD. A small radiate-headed brooch with D-shaped headplate bearing addorsed scroll decoration, surrounded by three collared knops; the border is cast thick with punched triangle decoration. The bow springs from below the headplate, its central rib and outer ribs continue the ridge and punched design which extends to the outer border of the triangular footplate ending in a beast-head finial. The pin-lug and catchplate are present on the reverse. The gilding is present on the recessed areas. Reference: Menghin, W. The Merovingian Period. Europe Without Borders, p.380 item V.2.1.3. Good very fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.

Silver-gilt, 5.16 grams, 44.40 mm. 5th-6th century AD. A small radiate-headed brooch with D-shaped headplate bearing addorsed scroll decoration, surrounded by two (remaining of three) collared knops; the border and collars are cast deep. The carinated bow springs from below the headplate, which extends to the lozengiform footplate with addorsed scroll decoration. One pin-lug and the catchplate are present on the reverse. The heavy gilding is present across much of the surface. Reference: Menghin, W. The Merovingian Period. Europe Without Borders, p.380 item V.2.1.3. Good fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.

Copper-alloy, 13.61 grams, 42.03 mm. 4th-5th century AD. A good example of a late Roman supporting arm bow brooch comprising a transverse bar with pierced lugs for the attachment of the spring pin developing into a narrow bow and expanding trapezoidal footplate. The outer face is decorated with groups of transverse ridges with facetted panels between. The sturdy catchplate is in place on the reverse. Supporting arm brooches were adopted by Germanic troops in the 4th century AD especially where they were in contact with the Roman army as auxiliary troops; they are most common in northern Germany and the Rhine delta but are also found in the Thames Valley and Essex. Reference: Hattatt, R. A Visual Catalogue of Richard Hattatt's Ancient Brooches, Oxford, 2000 item 1731. Very fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.

Copper-alloy, 2.12/1.23 grams, 42.04/41.77 mm. 5th-6th century AD. A pair of annular brooches of similar size but different construction. The first brooch is formed as a plate with about 10mm overlap at the junction, which is secured by a small rivet; the iron pin has corroded, filling the attachment hole and leaving a ferrous trace on the opposing side of the plate; decoration is in the form of a series of punched annulets. The second brooch is somewhat narrower in the band, and the about 12mm overlap is not riveted (it may have been soldered); the pin hole is void, but there are traces of ferrous deposits on both faces of the brooch; decoration is in the form of radiating punched lines. Brooches of this type were worn in pairs at the shoulders to secure the tubular peplos dress; they are not especially durable and may have needed replacing, as appears to have been the case here. Reference: MacGregor, A. & Bolick, E. A Summary Catalogue of the Anglo-Saxon Collections (Non-Ferrous Metals), BAR British Series 230, 1993, p.87 item 10.28. Very fine condition. Provenance: found Droxford, Hampshire, England.

Copper alloy, 23.22 grams, 62.15 mm. Circa 7th century AD. An unusual type of disc-on-bow brooch typical of Gotland and the eastern Baltic from the 7th century, before the political consolidation of the 8th century gave rise to the Viking expansion westwards. Similar brooches were in use in Kent in the 6th century, of more complex construction. This example has a rectangular headplate with horizontal ribbed decoration in the upper field, lateral cabochon mounts and a rhomboid panel above the shallow, plain bow. A central piercing was designed to accommodate a separate disc casting with geometric ornament. The footplate consists of a central column with ridged detailing, flanked by two opposed birds’ heads on drooping necks which emerge below the bow and rejoin at the base of the column above a circular terminal which originally held a cabochon or organic inlay. Reference: Smith, A. The British Museum Guide to Anglo-Saxon Antiquities, London, 1923, p.165 fig.219 and cf. Hawkes, S.C. The Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Bifrons in Anglo-Saxon Studies in Archaeology and History, vol.11, Oxford, 2000, grave 41 item 4. Very fine condition.

Copper-alloy, 53.26 grams, 124.91 mm. 5th-6th century AD. A finely detailed radiate-headed bow brooch of the standard form. The D-shaped headplate features three lobed extensions (two missing in antiquity) and is otherwise undecorated apart from a lunulate plate with beaded border affixed to the lower edge, respecting the junction with the plain, D-section bow; it is affixed with a spherical-headed pin at each end. At the other end of the bow is a similar symmetrically-placed plate. The long quadrangular footplate is slightly carinated in section. On the revserse, the spring-lug and catchplate are intact; an integrally cast medial bar runs the length of the footplate to strengthen it. Reference: Smith, R.A. British Museum Guide to Anglo-Saxon Antiquities, Trustees of the British Museum, 1923 p.143 and plate XIV (12); Reynal, R. La Vida a Egara durant el segle VI - Els Visigots a Catalunya, Barcelona, 1993. Very fine condition.

Copper-alloy, 30.68/56.74 grams, 147.91/140.5 mm. 5th-6th century AD. A fine large pair of slender radiate-headed bow brooches from Visigothic Spain, used as a pair but not perfectly matched in decoration. On the shorter example, the headplate is pentagonal, with a small lobe at each corner, the upper lobe larger than the others. The headplate is divided into four fields: an outer border of pellets; a medial band with stamped punchmarks in the form of an arc; two lateral bands of stamped elliptical motifs, and flanking these two bands of punched triangular motifs. The D-section bow extends to an elangated sub-triangular footplate with two lateral lobes; its decoration recalls that of the headplate, with a medial band of opposed triangular punchmarks flanked by punched arcs developing into an extension with punched arc ornamentation. The edges are decorated with punched pellets. The terminal consists of a transverse ribbed collar and finial hemisphere. The longer brooch differs in the details of the headplate design: an external pelletted border with three longitudinal bands of punched arcs, each flanked by a pelletted border. Its footplate is decorated with punched outward-facing arcs interspersed with pellets, and its terminal is an animal-head with eye-and-nostril detailing. The catchplate and spring-lug are present on the reverse, as well as a pierced lug for the attachment of a securing chain. Reference: Reynal, R. La Vida a Egara durant el segle VI - Els Visigots a Catalunya, Barcelona, 1993. Good very fine condition, the shorter brooch was damaged in antiquity and has been repaired.

Copper-alloy, 5.18 grams, 43.84 mm. 8th-9th century AD. The caterpillar brooch is a Middle Anglo-Saxon fastener, derived from ansate and equal-arm precursors, used to hold lighter garments such as shawls or linen tunics. This example bears three rectangular transverse bars at the ends and centre of the bow. The catchplate and hinge lugs are partly present. Reference: West, S. A Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Material from Suffolk, East Anglian Archaeology 84, Ipswich, 1998, p.128 fig.1. Fine condition.

Copper-alloy, 10.22 grams, 48.97 mm. 8th-9th century AD. A cast copper-alloy caterpillar bow brooch with ribbed detailing on the apex of the bow and the lobed terminals. The profile is carinated with a raised band at the ends of the bow. One bow features a long knop, and the pin-lugs and catchplate are in place on the reverse. The caterpillar brooch is a Middle Anglo-Saxon fastener, derived from ansate and equal-arm precursors, used to hold lighter garments such as shawls or linen tunics. Reference: West, S. A Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Material from Suffolk, East Anglian Archaeology 84, Ipswich, 1998, p.128 fig.1. Very fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.