An Ancient Roman crossbow brooch made of bronze, with a pronounced arched bow and a long pin mechanism. The bow is thick and faceted, decorated with incised zig-zag patterns and small concentric circular motifs on the sides. One end terminates in a sculptural knob, while the opposite end broadens into a flattened catch plate that would have secured the pin, which is now broken. The spring, which leads to the remnants of the pin, is wrapped around the cross-bar in a tight spiral. There are signs of wear such as rusting and earthly encrustations. In the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome, fibulae (or brooches) were originally used for fastening garments. They came in a variety of shapes, but all were based on the safety pin principle. Roman conquests spread the use of the fibula, which became the basis for more complicated brooches. The crossbow design reached the height of its popularity both in Italy and the Western European provinces at a later stage in the Empire’s history. Worn almost exclusively by men, the crossbow brooch came to represent civil and military authority, with famous late Roman generals such as Stilicho having been depicted wearing crossbow fibulae. Simpler versions made with cheaper materials were then popularised by Roman soldiers, thus allowing for their spread into the provinces where they became a staple of Romano-Celtic fibula design. Measurements: L 7.2cm x W 4.4cm Provenance: From an important European private collection, 1980s-2000s.