Product description
This zoomorphic Roman badge in the form of a horse presumably traces back to Celtic fibula patterns. Similar specimens have been excavated in St. Albans (the Roman Verulamium) and Pompeii, and several have also been found in England: some with only the horse, others with a rider on it.
It is precisely those horse-and-rider brooches that researchers associate with sanctuaries and temples, where they have been found in large numbers. They may depict a Romano-Celtic rider god, a fusion of Mars with an indigenous deity, and were likely purchased at temples as a sort of Roman precursor to the medieval pilgrim badge.
The brooch is made of metal and inlaid with green and white enamel, and comes with a pin with a loose fastening. A remarkable piece for the lover of Roman archaeology.
