Brooch

Keystone disc brooch from a female grave. Gilded silver, inlaid with red garnets and yellow-orange glass. (Leeds Class Ib). The central round cell has a domed boss of white shell with small cabochon garnet in beaded collar on the top, and a beaded collar (probably wire soldered) around the base. Three radiating wedge-shaped cells with small wedge-shaped garnets on chequered gold foil are set in a frame of white shell. In between them, nearer rim, are 3 elongated wedge-shaped cells, one set with garnet, the other two with yellow-orange glass. Flanking these secondary cells, are pairs of semi-circular stylised heads, facing outwards, and linked below by simple grooves. The whole brooch is enclosed by a chip-carved ridge, inside a flat rim with two rows of nielloed triangles, and rounded rim with 'light-and-shade' ornament, i.e. plain sections alternating with long and short lengths of beading. The rim is somewhat worn, most of the niello decoration is missing. At the back there is a usual simple pin-catch and an attachment for the missing pin.