The Fuller Brooch
- Gallery: Room 41
- Culture: Late Anglo-Saxon
- Made in: British Isles
- Date: 9thC(late)
- Object type: disc brooch
- Materials: silver; niello
- Museum number: 1952,0404.1
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is "The Fuller Brooch," a stunning silver disc brooch from the Late Anglo-Saxon period. Crafted from hammered sheet metal and inlaid with niello, the brooch is intricately decorated with a central roundel and an open-work outer zone. Within this design, you’ll see personifications of the Five Senses.
At the center is a figure representing Sight, depicted with prominent eyes, holding foliate sprays in each hand. Around this are four panels, each containing a human figure representing a different sense—Hearing, Touch, Taste, and Smell. These figures are shown in various expressive and symbolic poses. The areas between them are filled with plant motifs and interlace patterns.
This exceptional piece, made around the ninth century, reflects the artistic and intellectual sophistication of Anglo-Saxon craftsmanship. The brooch’s fine condition and elaborate iconography make it one of the finest examples of its kind, showcasing the Trewhiddle style. It was part of a small group of late Saxon silver brooches and may have been a prestigious accessory, worn by both men and women.
See it in person
The Fuller Brooch is on display in Room 41 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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