This brooch is a large composite, slightly convex disc, made of two plates of gold connected by a band of beaded gold wire filigree. The setting design is a modified cross pattern with a central boss (raised ornament) and four additional, smaller bosses, decorated with white shell. Constructed in gold, and inlaid with blue glass, white shell, pearl and garnet, the brooch is 8 centimetres (3.1 in) in diameter. The brooch has been dated to the seventh century.
The brooch was discovered on the North Downs above the village of Kingston, Kent on August 5, 1771 by the Reverend Bryan Faussett (1720-1776), Rector of Kingston. Faussett's excavation of 308 graves revealed an early medieval cemetery.
The brooch was uncovered in a burial mound (grave 25) of a small wealthy woman. The grave contained multiple burial goods, including a gold pendant, a glass palm cup, a pair of silver safety-pin brooches, and a bronze hanging-bowl. The ancient burial mound was middle-sized, while the grave was much larger than normal: 10 feet (3.0 m) long by 8 feet (2.4 m) wide by 6 feet (1.8 m) deep.
7th century yrs 601-700.
ReplyDeleteSo, for the good of the state, they robbed the grave.
ReplyDeleteObjects such as these make me curious as to why some craftsman back then could produce something so intricately designed, yet portraits drawn at the same period look as if a toddler drew them.
ReplyDeleteGood question; I’ll speculate. When you’re doing “geometric” stuff, who’s to say you’ve done it wrong? When representing biology, meteorology, perspective, etc., it’s a lot harder to get appealing results. It took people a long time to figure out how to do that.
ReplyDeleteAll of her possessions need to be returned to her grave. With modern technology for photographic, there’s no need to keep with that stuff
ReplyDelete