This blog may end up being a bit rambly as it is meant to be bringing together an idea I have been thinking about since studying the Wirral brooches.  If you read my blogs about the Wirral brooches you will have seen that the chequerboard pattern is one of the key features which defines the type. Whilst looking at the Wirral brooches I decided to look at other items recorded on the PAS database which had a similar pattern on to see if there were any links between them, perhaps they also clustered in the North West.

Some other Roman brooches are enamelled and some do have similar patterns, for example Wroxeter and the T-shaped brooches.

The object below is a Roman stud which has been enamelled with a chequerboard pattern in yellow and red.  It appears to have been re-used/repaired at some point as there are are two small rivet holes. This may be due to the stud on the reverse breaking. However the important thing is the decoration.

The linch pin below is a really nice find on its own, in very good condition and with lovely decoration. However it also has the chequerboard pattern with the characteristic colours of red and yellow.

Wirral brooches

Below are two examples of the Wirral brooch. If you search for these items on the database then you will see c.35-40 of them, all with the chequerboard pattern, a lot with red, yellow and orange.

At the moment, from my limited work through my dissertation I am looking at ideas of continued style and art ideas from the Iron Age through to the Roman period, as this chequerboard pattern is common in both periods. I am hoping to investigate this trend more this year and will try to put more on the blog when I get time.