A saddle brooch (or a brooch saddle)

[mcbishop]

This is rather nice. It's a brooch in the shape of a Celto-Roman saddle. There is a rather clever little visual pun here, in that the same word (sagum) means cloak and saddle blanket. Geddit? ;-)

Mike Bishop

[PhilusEstilius]

Mike.
That looks to be a very intersting reproduction piece who made that one. ?

[XorX]

looks like an original for me

[Vindex]

I think it may be original too. Fascinating decoration on the saddle horns.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

I'm not familiar with wood and how it preserves, but I want to say based on the pattern of metal corrosion that the pin is certainly a reproduction

[LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS]

What wood? It's copper alloy. It's an original (and unicum) piece dated in II-III century. It's interesting, for me, that the shape is very similar to a modern english saddle. The form of the horns and its size it's curious, too, being smaller than habitual art depictions or modern reconstruccions.

[PhilusEstilius]

I do think that Evan has raised a very interesting point and where since my last post I have been given that this brooch is genuine, I still would make a comment that it does indeed look too good to be true.
What I would like is for the details to be put into English from the German so that we can be given not only its provenance but of course just how it was found and more importantly just how was it cleaned.
I have to say this from the fact that I do have a friend who is very good indeed at lost wax casting and can also create such fantastic patina it would fool most experts,
If in fact it is a genuine piece it can never ever have been used at all for there is no wear what so ever on any part of it the pin in particular.

[Urselius]

It could have been used as a votive object from new. It is an obvious item to be deposited to ensure a safe journey, or as a thank-offering for a safe journey completed.

[PhilusEstilius]

It would be so good to see views of this Skeuomorphic brooch from a few more different angles.

[jvrjenivs]

My Translation (of the relevant part) Not much info.

Römische Sattel-Fibel Roman saddle brooch

2. – frühes 3. Jhdt. n. Chr. / Römische Donauprovinzen 2nd to early 3rd century / Roman Donau area
Miniatur eines Hörnchensattels der Kavallerie Rückseite mit Anstecknadel
Model of a horned saddle of the cavalry. Backside with pin

The following part is about fibula in general, not about this piece.

25,20 g / Länge 32,5 mm

[PhilusEstilius]

The reason I have mentioned other views of this brooch is indeed from the point of view of its spring where I would like to know if in fact it is broken where the cord meets the other half of its bilateral coil for there looks to be a small part of the spring coil missing.