File:Early-medieval brooch (FindID 749480).jpg

English: Description: A gilded silver brooch (or perhaps a mount) cast in the half-round form of a dove with an equal-armed cross projecting above its back. The wings, tail and plumage are indicated by grooves and depressions and the cross has a nielloed contour line. The bird has a prominent eye with a punched dot in the centre and a single leg with the claws at back and front broken off. On the back there is a rectangular loop underneath the tail, which may have been a catch for a pin, while a dark patch of solder at the other end appears to mark where a hinge lug for the pin would have been attached.

Analysis: Surface metal analysis conducted at the British Museum indicated a silver content of approximately 88-89% with 4-5% copper. Lead, iron, zinc, gold and tin were also detected. The inlay is niello (silver sulphide). The dark grey-black concretion on the back of the brooch is tin-based soft solder.

Discussion: Dove brooches of gilded silver or of copper alloy with crosses on their backs are found mainly on the Continent, where they were worn by women as costume fasteners. They date from the Carolingian period from the early 9th century and later, e.g. from Große Domsfreiheit, Osnabrück, and Wangels, Germany, and Rouen, France (A. Pedersen, 1999, 'Rovfugler eller duer. Fugleformede fibler fra den tidlige middelalder', Aarbøger for Nordisk Oldkyndighed og Historie, 1999, 19-66, figs. 20b, 21a-b, and 22). The dove is thought to represent the Holy Spirit. An increasing number of the type is being found in this country, too, presumably as imports from abroad. One from near Wickford, also in Essex, but made of copper alloy, was reported to the British Museum in December 1992. A fragment of one in silver-gilt from Arlington, East Sussex, was reported as Treasure in 2004 and a more complete example in silver, but missing its tail, from Newchurch, Kent, was similarly reported the following year (Treasure Annual Report 2004, no. 83; and 2005-06, no. 205). The Ashmolean Museum has one in its collection from Berinsfield, Oxfordshire (Pedersen op.cit., fig. 19c).