File:Anglo-Saxon Great square-headed brooch (FindID 623997).jpg

English: An incomplete cast copper-alloy Anglo-Saxon Great square-headed brooch. The bow and upper edges of the foot survive, the remainder of the object now missing due to old breaks. The bow is rectangular in form, curved in profile and has prominent ribs on its front face that run down the centre and each side of the bow with deep flutes between. At the base of the bow is the integrally cast foot, of which only the upper areas survive. Both sides curve outwards and down to create openwork (oval?) decorative elements, their precise form uncertain. Each of the sides has moulded decoration on its front face comprising a central raised line or rib between raised borders. On the more complete side, to the left when viewed from the front, these lines terminate in a transverse rib that may indicate the beginnings of zoomorphic or similar decorative elements, but he preservation of the object makes precise identification impossible. At the centre, the surviving areas of the foot have moulded decoration on their front face. This comprises what appears to be a face mask of some sort positioned at the base of the bow with two large circular eyes(?) above a semi-circular mouth(?). The curvilinear sides meet the mask at its mouth, beneath which extends the start of a vertical rib with central pelleted strand. Traces of further decorative motifs are just visible to either side of the central rib, but their precise form is uncertain due to old breaks. On the back face of the plate is an integrally cast, but incomplete, catchplate that is rectangular in form and missing its outer edge due to old breaks. The entire object has worn surfaces an a dark green to grey/black patina. It measures 42.13mm in surviving length, 39.77mm in surviving width (at foot, 20.72mm in width at bow), 5.82mm in thickness at bow, and 20.00g in weight.

This is an incomplete Anglo-Saxon Great Square-headed brooch. The preservation of the object makes close identification extremely difficult, although it does share similarities in terms of form and possibly decoration with Hines' (1997) Group XVI brooches. It is of 6th century AD date.