File:Roman zoomorphic plate brooch (FindID 440864).jpg

English: An incomplete cast copper-alloy zoomorphic plate brooch of probable Roman date. It is flat, sub-circular in form and has openwork zoomorphic decoration comprising two opposing pairs of animal heads separated at the centre of the plate by an incised double transverse groove. In each pair the heads extend from opposite ends of the plate, curving around to face one another at the centre of the outer edge with a slight triangular projection between them at the centre of the plate. This creates an almost trefoil-shaped aperture on either side of the plate with the heads forming the outer edges of the brooch. Each head has an incised groove at join of head and neck, an open mouth and a small punched dot for an eye, perhaps intended to represent a lion, panther or similar creature. It is uncertain whether the eyes or the transverse grooves separating the two pairs of opposing heads originally contained any further decoration or enamelling. At one end of back face is a single integrally cast semi-circular pin lug with circular aperture, an integrally cast catchplate that is rectangular in form with folded outer edge positioned at the opposite end of the brooch. The entire object measures 28.48mm in width, 27.23mm in length, 3.37mm in thickness at plate (11.08mm at catchplate), and weighs 10.57g.

This is a very unusual zoomorphic plate brooch. The general appearance of the object combined with the single pin lug and opposing catchplate suggest a likely Roman date for the object. No close parallel has as yet been identified making a close dating impossible.