A Roman bronze plate brooch depicting a rabbit, decorated with enamel. The brooch features a resting rabbit, recognisable from the shorter ears and more compact body. The body is flat at its centre, with gently rounded edges, allowing for the addition of two recessed cells to the body, at some point richly decorated with enamel. The cells are formed into a smaller rabbit form, thus depicting two young kits, opposite each other. One cell still retains some enamel. The reverse of the brooch features the original pin and hinge, but the catch plate is missing.
Date: Circa 2nd century AD Provenance: Ex Cambridge collection, acquired 1990s-2000s. Condition: Very fine. Loss of enamel to the cells and some wear. Catch plate missing.
This specific brooch originated in France where, although uncommon, the majority seem to have originated. A few similar brooches have been found in Britain, but these are most likely to be imports, especially bearing in mind that the rabbit was not brought to Britain until the invasion of the Normans. They differ in style to the hare-type, but stem from the same origin, taking their influence from the flat plate brooches. Such brooches were very popular during the late 1st to 2nd century.
To discover more on Roman and Celtic brooches, please see our relevant blog post: Roman and Celtic Fibulae
