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- Anglo-Saxon Jewellery
- Anglo-Saxon Finger Rings
- Anglo-Saxon Cruciform Brooches
- Anglo-Saxon Disc Brooches
- Anglo-Saxon Square-Headed Brooches
- Other Anglo-Saxon Brooches
- Anglo-Saxon Decorative Mounts
- Anglo-Saxon Weapons
- Late Saxon Stirrup Mounts
- Saxon Pins & Fasteners
- Saxon Period Buckles
- Anglo-Saxon Strap Ends
Disc brooches are a common 5th to 6th century fastener, found in southern and eastern England and concentrated in the Upper Thames Valley, where it is presumed that they were developed and manufactured. There are no known Continental prototypes for this form of brooch, so it may have been an Anglo-Saxon innovation. They are predominantly of copper-alloy, but often tinned or gilded; decoration is confined to punched and incised detailing on the early examples, but later zoomorphic motifs are found. Some examples have notched or serrated rims. Another later variant is the ‘nummular’ brooch, which bears decoration drawn from coin forms.
Saucer brooches are normally single castings in copper-alloy, worn by adult females at the shoulders to secure a peplos dress. The plain rim is usually flared or angled away from the flat central surface – whence the ‘saucer’ designation. They are found with a concentration in the Thames Valley but occur sporadically across East Anglia, the south-east, the south and west Midlands. There are regional preferences in decoration, with running spirals the commonest form.
Button brooches are a diminutive form of cast saucer brooch, typically around 2cm across and bearing a stylized male human face. They are found across southern England, dating from the 5th and 6th centuries, with regional preferences detectable in the decoration. From grave distributions, these brooches were not often worn as the main dress fasteners at the shoulders; they may have been used as decorative pins.
