Arguably the most beautiful of all ancient brooch types, the Dragonesque Brooch first appeared shortly after the Roman invasion of Britain under the emperor Claudius in 43 A.D.

 

These brooches, considered a triumph of Romano-British metalwork, do not actually represent dragons as their name suggests. Rather, the dragonesque brooch is actually formed from a pair of Celtic cornucopia joined at their mouths and having ‘heads’ of capped trumpets.

 

Highly prized by collectors and history enthusiasts alike, these rare brooches were made only during a hundred year period (50-150 A.D.), and only in Britannia. This superb example measures almost 5cm in length