Fastening_the_brooches Celtic_brooch

mock-up modern fabric, showing how brooches used.



cashel brooch, 9th or 10th century, rock of cashel.

with penannular brooch, pin pushed through folds of cloth, pulled inside ring; free end of pin passes through gap in ring. pin rotated around ring 90 degrees or so, long pin held down slight pressure cannot escape on terminals, , fastening secure.

with pseudo-penannular brooches, things not simple , manner in used still debated; method not same brooches. 1 method may have been pull folds of cloth through ring until pierced pin, , pull cloth until pin rested on ring. work best brooches pin not longer diameter of ring, have, others not. second method might have been pin cloth vertically, leaving ring hanging unattached cloth; not seem secure. third method relied on length of chain or cord attached ring near terminals (which in pseudo-penannular brooches not terminate), used secure pin tying down, perhaps small pin @ end, put through cloth. tara brooch fastened in way. in cases pin fitted bolt or rivet make removable. further complication in pseudo-penannular brooches pin fixed lie in front of ring, in londesborough brooch (below), in others crosses through ring, starting head end in front of ring, middle of pin behind ring point crosses @ other side; tara brooch has been displayed set in both ways. latter arrangement seems more common in later brooches, of 9th century.

it fair scholars remain puzzled effective , simple penannular brooch developed in direction, though presumed reuniting of terminals of pseudo-penannular brooches partly strengthen brooch. in many penannular brooches, gap between terminals narrow pin pass through; whether case uncertain.