Quoit brooch facts for kids

The quoit brooch is a special kind of Anglo-Saxon brooch. These brooches were made in the 5th century, when the Anglo-Saxons first came to Britain. The name "Quoit Brooch Style" also describes other metal objects from that time that look similar.

These brooches get their name from the game of quoits, where people throw rings. They look like a wide ring or circle with an empty space in the middle. They are usually made of bronze or silver. Sometimes, they have silver or gold added for decoration.

The designs on quoit brooches are very flat, unlike other early Anglo-Saxon art. Details are added by carving or punching small marks into the metal. You can often see dots or dashes that look like fur on animal designs. Lines are also used to show parts of the animals' bodies.

Quoit brooches have a simple, straight pin that is hinged. This is similar to other Anglo-Saxon ring brooches or Celtic brooches. They also have a special slot and pin-stops on the ring to hold the pin in place.

Where Did Quoit Brooches Come From?

Most experts believe this style came from late Roman metalwork. It seems to mix ideas from two types of Roman items. One type was simple jewelry found in soldiers' graves in France and England. This included things like belt buckles. The other type was fancy Roman artwork, like a bracelet from the Hoxne Hoard.

The Quoit Brooch Style uses many different patterns. These are mostly geometric shapes, but they also include human faces. You can also see rows of animals or pairs of animals facing each other. On most pieces, the designs are packed together tightly. This is different from classic Roman art but similar to later Anglo-Saxon work. This style is also linked to Roman ring designs found in places like the Thetford Hoard.

In Roman times, special belts with metal decorations were worn. Both soldiers and officials wore these belts to show their importance. One idea is that skilled Roman jewelers made these items for Germanic people. This happened after, and maybe even before, the Romans left Britain around 410 AD.

The style of quoit brooches is very different from other Germanic styles of that time. The places where these items are found suggest two things. Either Germanic owners were starting to use some Roman-British customs. Or, Roman-British owners were starting to use some Anglo-Saxon customs. This happened in the early years of the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain.

However, many quoit brooch items have also been found in northern France. This shows that the style was not only made in Britain. It also means the style is not linked to just one group of people. Another idea is that these items were made for Germanic fighters. These fighters were hired to protect southern Britain and northern France in the 5th century. They used this new metalwork style to show their rank and identity.

Famous Quoit Brooch Finds

The Sarre Brooch

The Sarre Brooch is the most famous example of this style. It was found in 1863 at the Sarre Anglo-Saxon cemetery in Sarre, Kent. Today, it is kept at the British Museum. An expert named Gale Owen-Crocker called it the "most magnificent example" of the Quoit brooch style.

This brooch is made of silver and is about 7.71 cm wide. It has two small, three-dimensional doves on its flat surface. Another dove sits on the head of the pin. The parts with animal designs are covered in gold. The British Museum bought it in 1893.

The Sarre Brooch and another one from Howletts, Grave 13, look very similar. People think they were made in the same workshop, or even by the same artist. However, several workshops likely made items in the Quoit Brooch Style.

Other Important Finds

Quoit brooches and belt-fittings are mostly found in important burials. These burials are in southeastern England, south of the River Thames. They are also found across northern France. These items date from the middle of the 5th century.

The British Museum also has a piece of a brooch from Howletts, Kent. It looks like the Sarre Brooch. They also have several belt-fittings in this style from the Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Mucking in Essex. Other pieces have been found at Chessell Down on the Isle of Wight and Howletts in Kent. The basic shape of the brooch continued to be made, but in a much simpler style.

This style is quite rare because it was only made for a short time in specific places. In 2000, a study found only 5 round brooches and up to 39 other items in this style. However, more have been found since then, especially in France. In the same year, Peter Inker described and showed 7 round brooches.

A new important piece was found near Winchester in 2013. It was a large piece of a copper alloy sword scabbard mount. It had silver designs, including a crouching animal. Part of another animal was also there, forming the top edge of the scabbard.

Debate About the Style

Experts first identified this style in the 20th century. There was a lot of discussion about where it came from. It is often linked to the Jutes, a group of people who Bede said settled in the main areas where these items are found.

Many people also saw influences from other "barbarian" groups, like the Germanic people and the Franks. The style was even called "Jutish Style A" by an expert named Sonia Hawkes.