Enameled Bronze Brooch

NotesThis brooch was modeled from a thin but resistant bronze plate, which shows a central, cross-shaped openwork pattern: it is decorated with a symmetrical, abstract motif composed of four circles alternating with lanceolate leaves.

These small brooches were used in pairs to fasten clothing, as attested by some still preserved pairs of fibulae. Along with the examples displaying a geometric or floral decoration, their ornamentation includes a very lively and varied animal repertory, mainly composed of local species, such as hares, insects, birds, batrachians, cervids, dogs, wild boars, horses, etc.

The decoration, made in the champlevé technique, is a major distinctive feature of the Gallic small fibulae dated to the Imperial period. Cells were carved in the surface of the metal and filled with vitreous enamel; the piece was then fired until the enamel fused and, when cooled, the surface of the object was polished to highlight the bright colors of the enamel. This process was widely used by bronzers in the northern Alps, in an area ranging from Great Britain to the Balkans, including Germany and France: the workshops specialized in this technique produced fibulae, but also small containers, tripods, decorative ornaments (for furniture, chariots, etc.).

Complete and in excellent condition, despite a minor wear. The enamel is slightly flaked off and faded in places. The closing system is still in place.