English: A Roman copper alloy hinged zoomorphic plate brooch. The brooch consists of a thick, c. 3.6mm, plate in the form of an inverted S, 45.5mm long and 28.1mm wide, decorated with enamel and possibly coral inlays. Probably dating to c. AD 1-200.

The brooch is zoomorphic, with symetrical, opposed, long-necked sea creatures forming either arm of the plate. Both arms of the plate end in an open-mouthed, fish head-like terminal. These are broadly semi-circular in plan, with a right-angled gap on the inside edge creating the mouth and with the eye depicted by a relatively large circular recessed cell, with an unidentified inlay, now discoloured pale green, surviving at the upper terminal.

At the centre of the plate, where the two necks meet, is a central oval, left raised against the flanking recessed cells (see below), and with an incised line running around its edge. At the centre of this is a further recessed circular cell with no surviving inlay.

Both necks are decorated with a pair of parallel, opposed trumpet-shaped recessed cells, containing traces of a red enamel inlay. The inner cells have a straight open end at the terminal of each arm, whilst the open end of the outer cells are concave and flank the central oval. The spaces between these cells have been left raised, with an incised line running down either edge and with a series of transverse incised lines filling the space between. Further, relatively deep, transverse lines have been incised into the sides of the plate, along the outside edges, but with the internal edges (i.e. the underside of the necks) left plain.

Expanding from the back of the plate, from just behind the zoomorphic terminal of the upper arm, are a pair of perforated, D-shaped lugs, which hold a copper alloy axis bar and partial copper alloy pin in situ. Together the pin mechanism is 8.0mm wide and 7.2mm long, the maximum thickness of the overall brooch is 9.4mm. The pin is topped by an expanded perforated lug, probably sub-oval in shape (although only a small portion is now visible), the surviving shaft of the pin is sub-circular in cross section. and it survives to a length of 18.5mm (including the perforated lug), with a width of c. 1.8mm, though it tapers slightly towards the point.

There is no indication of a catchplate.

Overall dimensions: length 45.5mm; width 28.1mm; thickness 9.4mm; weight 17.64g.

Although bearing a superficial similarity to Dragonesque type brooches, the brooch differs in both the style of its zoomorphic terminals and lacks the characteristic pin attachment method of this type. The coral and curvilinear thick trumpet-shaped red enamel inlays are suggestive of an Iron age or early Roman period date (compare for example: SOM-DA7CED), however the brooch is unusually robust and no parallel has been found in the usual sources; it may prove to be of continental origin. In general, brooches fell out of fashion in Britain around the end of the second century, and a first or second century date can be suggested with some confidence, although stylistically it is perhaps more likely to date to the first.