Fibulae or brooches were originally purposed as garment fasteners in the Roman Empire. Roman soldiers especially, wore fibulae as a decorative piece to keep their cloaks together. These brooches replaced straight pins that were used to fasten clothing in the Neolithic period and the Bronze Age. Fibulae are the most common artefact-type in burials and settlements throughout much of the continental Europe. Their modern day equivalent are the trustworthy safety pin.
This particular piece belongs to the skeuomorphic group, brooches that were designed in the form of inanimate objects and became popular around the 2nd century AD. They were less popular than the zoomorphic counterparts and the most common variety were the wheel and sandal-sole type. The subject matter for skeuomorphic brooches was both apotropaic and decorative. The wheel and axe were most common votive in design, with the former being associated strongly with Celtic solar religious imagery. The jug or vessel type, like this fine example, lend themselves to a more decorative function, perhaps being a particularly favoured subject-matter for the owner.
