Necklaces, rings and bracelets have been used from time immemorial to make oneself more attractive. Beauty and aesthetics, in this instance, supersede function. Brooches, on the other hand, were not only decorative and attractive but also functional, holding clothes together; distinct and interesting creations soon made them elegant pieces of jewellery in their own right.
As man first started wearing animal skins, pins and similar objects became a necessity to hold these clothes together. It would not be entirely wrong to assume that at first, wooden sticks may have been used to fasten pelts and animal skins. As weaving became more widespread, so did the use of pins, those made out of bone being the most popular. Bone pins were carved and beautifully decorated in a variety of ways. The quest for distinctiveness led to the creation of numerous figurative and decorative motifs. Bronze was the other popular material for brooches. Copper, silver and gold were also widely used.
The techniques used in brooch making in antiquity were filigree, casting, hammering and beating. Casting was done in one of two manners: filled and hollow. Some brooches had their pins and heads cast separately, these pieces being combined later. Some were made with the heads fitted into pin; these often sported precious stone encrasted heads. Dogs also revealed plating techniques. There are examples made using the granulation technique.
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