‘Celtic’ designs

The time before the arrival of the Romans in Britain is called the Iron Age (about 800 BC to AD 43). It was the time when iron was first used instead of bronze to make tools and weapons. In the parts of Europe that the Romans never conquered, the name ‘Iron Age’ is used to cover a much longer time. Often all Iron Age people are called ‘Celts’, but in fact many different sorts of people lived in different parts of Britain and Europe at this time.

Place (findspot) Found/Acquired British Isles Date 1stC-2ndC Period/Culture Romano-British Description Copper alloy and enamel dragonesque brooch. Dimensions Length: 70 millimetres Curator's comments The 'dragonesque' form of this brooch is typically Romano-British: first appearing after the start of the Roman conquest of southern England in AD 43, but embodying native artistic taste. Dragonesque brooches were not only decorative objects, but also functional fasteners - a strongly-curved pin (missing on this example) would have held a thick fold of cloth. C. Johns, The jewellery of Roman Britain: Celtic and classical traditions (London, UCL Press, 1996), p. 152, fig. 7.2 brooch

Title (object) Londesborough Brooch Materials silver, gold, glass, amber Techniques inlaid, gilded, cast Place (findspot) Found/Acquired Ireland (?) Date 8thC(late)-9thC(early) Period/Culture Celtic (Irish) Department: Prehistory and Europe Registration number: 1888,0719.101 brooch

Title (object) Breadalbane Brooch Materials silver, gold, glass Techniques gilded, filigree, cast, cabochon (polished gems) Place (findspot) Found/Acquired Scotland (?) Date 8thC Period/Culture Pictish (pin) Celtic (Irish) Department: Prehistory and Europe Registration number: 1919,1218.1 brooch

armlets Object types armlet Materials copper alloy Techniques enamelled Place (findspot) Found/Acquired Drummond Castle Date 50-200 Period/Culture Romano-British Department: Prehistory and Europe Registration number: 1838,0714.3.a armlets

Bracelet Materials gold, enamel Techniques wirework, enamelled Place (findspot) Excavated/Findspot: Rhayader (Wales) Date 1stC-2ndC Period/Culture Romano-British Department: Prehistory and Europe Registration number: 1900,1122.1 bracelet

Title (object) The Desborough Mirror Materials bronze Techniques engraved Place (findspot) Found/Acquired Desborough, Found in ironstone digging in 1908. Date 50BC-50 Period/Culture Iron Age Department: Prehistory and Europe Registration number: 1924,0109.1 mirror

detail of mirror

Materials silver, lead ( Materials silver, lead (?), gold, amber Techniques riveted, inlaid, incised, gilded, cast Place (findspot) Found/Acquired Tara, Hill of (?) Found/Acquired Skreen (? near), Ireland Date 8thC-9thC(early) Period/Culture Celtic (Irish) Department: Prehistory and Europe Registration number: 1893,0618.29 brooch

Title (object) The Waterloo Helmet Materials glass, copper alloy, bronze Techniques repoussé (shapes and patterns ‘pushed’ from reverse side of metal sheet, enamelled Place (findspot) Excavated/Findspot Waterloo Bridge ( Found/Acquired Thames, River, Waterloo Bridge, London Period/Culture Iron Age Department: Prehistory and Europe Registration number: 1988,1004.1 helmet

Title (object) The Snettisham Great Torc Materials electrum (natural alloy form of silver and gold) Techniques twisted , embossed, chased, cast Place (findspot) Found/Acquired Ken Hill, Norfolk Date 75BC (circa) Period/Culture Iron Age Department: Prehistory and Europe Registration number: 1951,0402.2 detail of torc

detail of torc

Object types latchet (fastener) Materials enamel, copper alloy Techniques inlaid, enamelled, cast Place (findspot) Found/Acquired Dowris (?), Ireland Date 7thC Period/Culture Celtic (Irish) Department: Prehistory and Europe Registration number: 1854,0714.97 fastener for clothes

Title (object) The Battersea Shield Materials glass, bronze Techniques repoussé, relief, engraved, enamelled Place (findspot) Found/Acquired Thames, River Found/Acquired Battersea, found in River Thames, probably near to the Chelsea Suspension Bridge, London Date 350BC-50BC Period/Culture La Tène Department: Prehistory and Europe Registration number: 1857,0715.1 shield

detail of shield

detail of shield

Find out more about the Iron Age Visit the main Museum website www.britishmuseum.org