A Romano-british Enamelled Bronze Hippocampus Brooch, 1st-3rd Century

A beautiful copper-alloy plate brooch in the form of a hippocampus, decorated with cells of blue and red enamel, with a ring and dot eye. A deep black patina and most of the enamelling remains. The pin is missing, as is usually the case, as this was often made from iron, the first thing to deteriorate.
Dimensions: 29mm x 20mm
Found: Southern England
References: cf, Hattatt's 'Ancient Brooches' p363
Features and Provenance: Brooches as clothes fasteners have been made since the bronze age. As skills and metallurgy advanced, so did the size and detail of the brooches otherwise known as fibulae. They were still used by the Romans, as buttons had yet to be invented. This brooch attest to the cultural complexity of Roman northern provinces, where Celtic and Classical culture converged. They combine traditional Roman zoomorphic plate brooches with local styles of decoration, including the curving animal heads and bright enamelling typical of Celtic art.
The brooch depicts a mythical sea creature, the Hippocampus or Hippocamp, half horse and half fish with a dolphin-like tail and was said to pull Poseidon's chariot across the oceans.