Ancient Greek Bronze Four bow brooches (Phrygian type) (No reserve price)

"Ancient Greek Bronze Group of Four Bow Brooches (Phrygian Type)

Culture / Period: Ancient Greek
Date / Period: 8th–6th century B.C.
Material: Bronze
Dimensions: 22–38 mm
Condition: Good condition

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Provenance information:
Object Registration ID: 693

The current owner purchased the Ancient Greek bronze group of four bow brooches (Phrygian type) from a private collector, N.N.

The previous owner, a private collector, N.N. from the Netherlands, stated that the objects had been in his collection since the 1990s.

According to the previous owner, the objects had previously been in a private collection in the Netherlands since the 1990s.

No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the objects was available from the previous owner.

Background Information:
This group comprises four cast bronze bow brooches of the Phrygian type, dating to the Early Iron Age. Although preserved in fragmentary condition, each brooch retains its characteristic arched bow with moulded decorative elements, illustrating the distinctive style that originated in Phrygia and became widely adopted throughout the Greek world.

Fibulae were indispensable items of dress, serving as practical fasteners for cloaks, tunics, and mantles before the introduction of buttons. At the same time, they functioned as personal ornaments and symbols of identity, with variations in form and decoration reflecting regional traditions and changing fashions. Phrygian-type brooches became especially popular during the Geometric and Archaic periods and are frequently encountered in settlement and funerary contexts.

These brooches were cast in bronze using established metalworking techniques and finished by hand with moulded ribs and decorative profiles. Comparable examples have been recovered from archaeological sites across Greece, western Anatolia, and the Balkans, demonstrating the extensive cultural contacts and exchange networks that characterised the eastern Mediterranean during the early first millennium B.C.

Dating to the 8th–6th century B.C., this group belongs to a formative period in Greek history marked by expanding trade, colonisation, and artistic innovation. Together, these brooches form a tangible connection to the ancient Greek world, where such objects combined practical function with personal adornment and were an essential element of everyday dress."