Intact. A Roman cast bronze crossbow brooch. The high arched bow features a horizontal protrusion just above the point where it meets the long foot, which is also decorated with notches and raised protrusions and features a raised central ridge. The pin is original and intact and frozen in place inside the catch plate. The cross bar's upper surface is decorated with undulations and ridges. Both the cross bar and the bow terminate in roughly acorn shaped knobs. There is only very minor surface wear with a thin, smooth, chocolate brown patina with a few green highlights. This example dates to about half way through the development of crossbow brooches, which started as rather light weight in the 3rd Century but grew in size and chunkiness over time. The type is strongly associated with the Roman military and provincial bureaucratic officials. An impressive example.
PROVENANCE: Formerly in a UK private collection.
COMPARISONS: Mills. Roman Artifacts Found in Britain, Essex, 1995, # M91, for the type