A Late Iron Age "concealed loop" horse harness brooch found at Bullington, Hampshire, dating to the late 1st century BC-late 1st century AD. The plate is flat, 68.9mm across and openwork with bilaterally symmetrical flanking S-shaped elements with fields of incised "basket weave" decoration, flanked by a pair of lateral quarter-circle winged projections. The central designs of both of
these sides comprise large circles with S-shape or opposing teardrop elements containing central circles. Bridging the two side elements are small circular and lenticular plates decorated with incised concave triangles within circles. The reverse of the plate is undecorated with a flat strap loop and an in-line double lugged hinge and hooked catchplate for a missing iron pin or bar perpendicular to the axis of the loop. Also known as the Sutton Scotney brooch.
This is one of only 10 known Late Iron Age harness brooches from England and Wales dating from the late first century BC to late first century AD. Three were found in the Polden Hill hoard, Somerset (BM 1889,0706.78, 79 and 1846,0322.112-3); one fragmentary example from Folly Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire; a well-preserved example from Buckinghamshire (PAS:
DENO-2BAD49) fragments from Woore, Shropshire (PAS: LVPL-EB15B0) and Ashdown, Oxfordshire (BM 1880,0618.1); part of an angular example from South Oxfordshire (PAS: SUR-CDC775) and one found in direct association with the recently discovered chariot burial from Pembrokeshire. Further Romano-British period examples, which have a more disc-like form, are known from Fremington Hagg, Hod Hill and Wroxeter. The style of ornament and combination of motifs may also be found on other harness fittings of the period. The basket-weave pattern is less widely used on harness fittings but is frequently found on mirrors and torcs of the period.
Portable Antiquities Scheme Database SUR-738A17 (823)
Kindly gifted to the Hampshire County Council Collections, in the care of Hampshire Cultural Trust, by ArtAncient Ltd. This brooch is currently on display at Andover Museum of the Iron Age.
