An Elegant Accessory

This rather lovely object is a broken dress pin, perhaps 8th or 9th century in date. The tip and much of the shank are not present, but the head with its opposing loops remains.

Like many of the metal objects we have been working on, this object was in pretty good condition and just needed a little TLC to keep it in tip-top condition for the future. Corrosion and soil deposits were removed using hand tools and swabs moistened with solvents. The metal was stabilised and then lacquered.