This intricate little piece of history is a Roman Plate Brooch (or fibula) dating to the 1st - 2nd century A.D.

 

The Roman fibula brooch was essentially a fancy safety pin (fibula means clasp) and was ubiquitous throughout the Roman republic and empire. While buckles were common, and buttons occasionally used, the pin and catchplate clasp of the fibula lent itself to the flowing robes, tunics and cloaks of the Roman period.

 

The brooch once formed part of the well-known, Norfolk-based Chris Rudd Collection, formed in the 1970s and 1980s.