A unique 10th century AD gold-plated brooch from south-east Russia: technical and stylistic authentication

The gold-plated brooch with filigree and granulation was recovered by hobby metal-detecting in the vicinity of the city of Bryansk. The aim of this paper is to present some initial results representing the outcome of the archaeological and technological examination of this unique piece of jewellery. The composition of the metal and the method of fabrication were investigated using ED-XRF and microscopic analyses. The technical examination revealed that the brooch belongs to the Scandinavian stylistic and technological circle. However, technically it differs in three significant details from the Northern art tradition of filigree and granulation. First, the upper embossed panel, made of high purity gold, is placed on a solid silver base and fixed with six gold rivets. Usually, it was constructed of a flat based plate and a domed relief upper plate made of the same metal. The second unusual technique whose application was identified on this brooch is the use of a mercury amalgam solder for joining the filigree and granulation to the substrate. The last peculiar detail is the use of geometrical granulation associated with Slavic art. Such elements appear on a number of Gotlandic ornaments from the late Viking Age. The gold brooch was possibly produced in Gotland based on the Scandinavian tradition, but also displays features of Slavic influence in its design.