Dragonesque brooches

This pair of dragonesque brooches has enamelled decoration in blue and red. Dragonesque brooches were functional fasteners as well as decorative objects: the strongly-curved pin would have held a thick fold of cloth. Like many fibulae (decorative clasps or brooches), dragonesques could be worn as a pair, one on each shoulder, joined by a chain or cord. Even when made as a matching set, nearly all dragonesque brooches face in the same direction.

The Iron Age is traditionally thought to end with the Roman conquest, led by the Emperor Claudius in AD 43. In fact, the reality is more complex. Native culture in the British Isles continued to flourish and incorporated Roman traditions. Dragonesque brooches, worn Roman-style as a pair, one on each shoulder, are a good example of this. The idea of an animal-headed brooch is Roman, but the sinuous, s-shaped curves of the dragon-like creatures developed from local art styles. These hybrid designs would continue to influence art made in the British Isles for many centuries to come.