Brooch

Disc brooch from a female grave Avent class 3.1 with two rim forms, an outer and an inner. The main ornament in the body of the brooch is the one of reversed animal heads similar to Avent class 2 but now turned through 90 degrees. The two animal heads are joined by a single line which symbolises the two bodies. This type of decoration is characteristic of the Continental type of decoration style II.The keystone setting is wedge shaped and the central setting is raised into a boss. The large central circular cell contains a flat disc of white paste(?), and is set in top, a circular flat garnet in a beaded collar. Three radiating wedge-shaped garnets touch the central cell, and between them and nearer the edge are 3 elongated wedge-shaped garnets, all in cast cells and all set on chequered gold foil. Around the whole a nicked ridge, inside a flat rim with double row of triangles originally niello-filled. Most of the niello is now lost. Outside the rim of the brooch is beaded to simulate a beaded wire collar. On the back there is a simple pin-catch and an attachment for a missing pin.