The Visigoths were a division of the Goths, an East-Germanic people. We have little early information about them, but they were the first people to invade Rome and defeated the Roman Emperor, Valens, in battle. Their tumultuous trouble with the Roman Empire culminated in the sack and invasion of Rome in 410 AD, which was the first time Rome had been taken by a foreign army and it signalled the start of the Empire’s decline. After the invasion, the Visigoths came to occupy what is now southwestern France and the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th to the 8th centuries. They lost much of their Kingdom when they were invaded by the Franks, occupying a small strip of land called Septimania. They were eventually overthrown by the Muslims in 711 A.D.
Small Visigothic Bronze Brooch
£ 185.00
A small Visigoth radiate-headed and fantail brooch. The brooch is composed of a D-shaped headplate which once would have had perhaps eight or nine radiating knobs, four of which remain. The head plate leads to an arched bow from which the fantail-shaped footplate connects. The bedplate is adorned with concentric circle around its perimeter swell as at its centre. The fantail is similarly adorned with three concentric circles positioned in a triangle. The reverse of the brooch is unadorned with the hinged pin and catch still intact, now fixed in place. The piece is covered in a vibrant green patina and the surface bears some minor scratches, chips and wear consistent with its age.
Provenance: From an important European private collection, 1980s-2000s.
Condition: Fine condition with patination to the surface. Pin is now missing some of the radiating knobs and is slightly chipped.
In stock
| Weight | 25.1 g |
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| Dimensions | L 7.2 x W 4.5 cm |
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