Roman Silver Crossbow Brooch

£ 350.00

A Roman silver crossbow fibula featuring a thick arched bow leading to a rectangular footplate. The foot plate has raised, criss-crossed linear decorations. The ridged, polygonal crossbar is decorated with two spherical, collared terminals that taper to a slight point. The top of the bow features a similar rounded terminal, with two raised ridges below. The pin is now missing from the hinge-pin clasp.

Date: Circa 3rd-4th century AD
Condition: Fine Condition. Tarnishing and encrustations to the surface, particularly to the back of the crossbar. Some minor chipping to the edges. The pin is missing.
SKU: RES-260 Categories: , Tag:

In antiquity, fibulae were originally used for fastening garments, particularly cloaks, and served both a decorative and practical purpose. The brooches came in a variety of shapes, but all were based on the safety pin principle. The crossbow design reached the height of its popularity both in Italy and in the Western European provinces at a later stage in the Empire’s history. Worn almost exclusively by men, the crossbow brooch came to represent civil and military authority, with famous Roman generals, such as Stilicho, having been depicted wearing crossbow fibulae. Simpler versions made with cheaper materials were then popularised by Roman soldiers, thus allowing for their spread into the provinces where they became a staple of Romano-Celtic fibula design.

To discover more on Roman and Celtic brooches, please see our relevant blog post: Roman and Celtic Fibulae

Weight 22.57 g
Dimensions L 4.8 x W 3.5 x H 1.8 cm
Region

Southern Europe

Metal

Silver

Reference: For a similar item,The British Museum, item 1881,0125.1

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