ON A BRONZE HAIR PIN FROM 

 DORCHESTER. 



HE object which, we now engrave through the 

 courtesy of the Archaeological Institute was some years 

 since discovered at Dorchester by the late Canon 

 Bingham, whose last act as an accomplished antiquary was that 

 of consigning it to our care for a notice in the " Proceedings of 

 the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club." 



The object in question is described in the Archaeological Journal 

 as follows : " The upper portion of the stem is very delicately 

 ornamented, and in actual use this portion would have stood out 

 free, the pin being probably used foi the hair and kept in a 

 fixed position by means of the lozenge and little loop. Pins of 

 this general character are frequent in Irish collections, and their 

 variety and beauty may be gathered from the examples in the 

 museum of the Eoyal Irish Academy. The central cone on the 

 head is usual with pins of this particular type. In the example 

 from Dorchester, the outer circle of acute cones on the head, 

 the ornamented stem, the little loop, and, most of all, the 

 lozenge, are to be noticed."* 



This pin when complete was probably nine inches in length, 

 the head being a little over an inch in diameter. "Whether the 

 interior grooves and the depressed cusps were intended for 

 enamels does not appear. 



This highly ornamental pin is probably of Eoman workman- 

 ship, and we hope it is destined to take its place with other 

 interesting objects of this period in the new Museum at Dor- 

 chester now so happily drawing towards its completion. 



THE EDITOE. 



* Vol. xxxviii., p. 324. 



