Roman Mythical Gryphon Brooch – Extremely Rare – 3rd Century AD

Roman Mythical Gryphon (or Griffin) Brooch – Extremely Rare – 3rd Century AD

37x30mm, 7.80g

A fascinating brooch and extremely rare, the first we’ve offered for sale in 18 years of trading!

Ex J Philpotts coll, ex R Swan (2008)

The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle; and sometimes an eagle’s talons as its front feet. Because the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts, and the eagle the king of the birds, by the Middle Ages, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. Since classical antiquity, griffins were known for guarding treasures and priceless possessions.

In Greek and Roman texts, griffins and Arimaspians were associated with gold deposits of Central Asia. Indeed, as Pliny the Elder wrote, “griffins were said to lay eggs in burrows on the ground and these nests contained gold nuggets.”