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Lot 31
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Romano-British Enameled Brass Fibula - Circular Form
Romano-British Enameled Brass Fibula - Circular Form
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Description:

Roman, Imperial Period, probably from Britain but may also be from northern Gaul (France), ca. late 2nd century CE. A pretty example of one of the most distinctive artifact types from the interplay of Roman and Celtic culture: a brass fibula or brooch with inlaid enamel in white, blue, and red. The brooch is annular, with a central raised boss that perhaps called to mind the wheel of a chariot for its maker and wearer, all flanked by a pair of circular projections. Size: 1.8" W x 1.3" H (4.6 cm x 3.3 cm); 1.9" H (4.8 cm) on included custom stand.

Brooches were used to fasten the ubiquitous clothing item of cold, damp Roman Britain - the cloak - and were an essential part of the Roman wardrobe for centuries. In southern Britain, the technique of enameling developed ca. 200 BCE from the use of coral and then opaque red glass to decorate bronze, silver, and gold objects. Once the Romans colonized Britain from 43 CE, they became enamored with the enamel style and used it on many small objects, the most popular of which was the brooch. The development of different colors of enamel allows us to date these pretty objects. Blue was one of the last colors to enter the decorative palette and places this brooch in the late 2nd century CE; the use of 3 colors then limits it to approximately before the 3rd century CE, when style shifted so that brooches became predominantly just blue and white.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Eldert Bontekoe collection, Pegasi Numismatics, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

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#172098

  • Condition: Unwearable due to missing pin and some losses to catch. Losses of some enamel. Abrasions and softening of detail, commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with nice patina and light earthen deposits.

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September 8, 2022 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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