Brooch

'Jutlandic' great square-headed brooch. The edges of the headplate are worn and broken away in two places. Around the outer edges at the top and the sides panels of an almost indecipherable animal ornament: at top a pair of couchant animals but impossible now to tell which way they are facing - probably outwards since no heads visible at the centre, back-to-back. At sides descending animals, their feet are visible, the heads obliterated. Inside there is a raised band with two rows of cut-out triangles. Plain band curves are around the top of the bow. The central panel has upside down mask above bow, full-face, with curved brow ridges, nose, eyes, moustache and elliptical mouth. There are globules at the ends of the brows. Flanking the mask are degenerate animals with 'helmet' heads, in upper corners, necks curving to hip or shoulder joints in lower corners, curving strand from here to join mask globules. Extra leg and foot with joints touching nose at each side, feet under the head. The bow is short and steeply sloping to the flat top. The top of the bow has circular recess inset with filigree work around an empty cell which was attached with a rivet to the bow, shank shows at the back. Around the cell there is a ring of beaded silver wire, and another around the edge of the inset. Between beaded wires, S's on sides, 4 in all, made of doubled beaded wire. Probably once gilded. There is a plain band below the bow. At sides are hanging animal heads with straight brow band, nose, eye and underlined open mouths. On the neck there are remains of crouching animals, probably descending - only a leg with toed foot, hip arch, and worn shadow of body remains. Inside the neck there is a raised band with double row of triangles curves down to the roundel at the foot making a lozenge-shaped central panel. The frame of the side roundels shows remains of billeting, and inside each three ellipses deeply cut out to leave concave sided triangles in reserve. The lower roundel is completely worn with equal armed cross in deep reserve. Under hanging animal chins there is a degenerate beak, with an open hole at the centre. At lower sides, there are animals climbing upwards. At the centre below bow a full-face mask with billeted and nielloed brow-band, or if upside down mouth, then straight ridge, then round eyes with nose between brow-ridges or eye underlining. The remaining area of the lozenge-shaped panel is filled up with contour ridges, and central lozenge with upward projection which might be a beard. It has remains of engraved line around deep small central diamond indent. At the back there are twin attachments on headplate for a spring coil and pin, both lost; on the foot there is simple long catchplate set on longitudinal ridge, extending down to foot.