Penannular brooch of silver gilt

This silver-gilt penannular brooch is one of the few surviving pieces from a large hoard of Pictish metalwork found by a workman in 1868 at Rogart in Sutherland during railway construction. It dates from the 8th century.

The brooch has cast interlace decoration in a technique called chip carving, or an imitation of it. In the ornamental fields there are decorative studs of red glass in the form of inward-facing birds' heads in full relief, with eyes of green glass.

The use of a cross design and birds' head indicates Christian influence in the design of the brooch.

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