Ancient Medieval Bronze Fibula Dress Pin Roman Empire Medieval Antique BC AD

Ancient Medieval Bronze Fibula Dress Pin Roman or Early Medieval 

A charming and well-preserved bronze fibula presented in excavated, uncleaned condition. The piece retains a rich green verdigris patina developed over centuries, characteristic of buried copper alloy artifacts. The curved bow form with twisted or ribbed pin shaft is intact and the overall structure is complete and sound.

Fibulae of this general type were used as dress fasteners across a remarkably long period of European history, from the Roman era through the early medieval period, broadly spanning the 1st through 10th centuries AD. Italy has produced enormous quantities of such finds given its rich layered history of Roman, Byzantine, Lombard, and early medieval occupation, and this piece is entirely consistent with that tradition. Exact dating and cultural attribution would benefit from specialist examination, and is reflected in the opening price accordingly.

This is potentially the oldest piece in the collection and represents a different material culture entirely from the iron knife blades — a welcome point of variety for the collector. Bronze fibulae of this type are actively collected and well documented in the archaeological literature.

Presented as-found, uncleaned, retaining original excavated surface and patina throughout.

Provenance:

These items come from two lifetime collections assembled by United States Army soldiers stationed in Italy following World War II. Post-war Italy was economically devastated, and local families — drawing on their own personal collections — were selling historical items to make ends meet. These soldiers bought extensively during their time there and shipped the items back to the United States. They returned to Italy several years later to buy more, having developed a deep passion for collecting historical artifacts.

The collections passed from the soldiers to their sons, and then on to their grandsons. The items were subsequently purchased directly from one of those grandsons.

These pieces left Italy in the late 1940s to early 1950s, well before the 1970 UNESCO Convention on cultural property

Condition: Uncleaned, as-found. Green verdigris patina throughout. Structurally intact

selling as pictured.

more than welcome to pick up at shop in butler pa & save shipping.

022326 jy