THE EARLY AGE OF GREECE VOL.I by W.Ridgeway 1901

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THE BROOCH. 591
We have here figured a series from the collection of the Royal
Irish Academy, which shows the plain penanular
ring fitted with a pin' (Fig. 149),
bnt with its knobs in the shape of animals'
heads in the ' late Celtic ' style,
and another
showing the ends now flattened and decorated
with animal designs and amber settings
(Fig. 150), and also one with the beautiful
interlaced work (Fig. 151) .similar to the
ornament of Irish manuscripts.
Having fitted the penamdar ring with
a pin some forgotten genius conceived the
idea of closing the opening of the ring
Fig. 149. Bronze
(Fig. 152). This evolution can be well seen
Fibula, Ireland.
in a class of ornaments found in Anglo-
Saxon graves, and usually described by archaeologists as
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annular fibulae.
But the feeling in favour of the
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simple pin always remained strong
in Ireland, and we therefore find
numerous examples of what are
termed ' ring-pins.' These are large
j)ins with a complete ring thi'ough
the head. Where the ring
is small,
it was simply meant for holding a
string
to attach it to the cloak to
prevent its being lost.
There ai'e' however many examples
whert! tile I'ing is large and
flat like that of the pcnanular
brooches, excc])t that^ it has no
opening, although the sui'\i\al ot'
the latter is often to be seen m ii
groove ruiMiing aci'oss the I'lng ;
this groove receues the pill.
These
articles, which are not simple pins
nor \-et brooches, are reall\
l)ni(icli with a ]i(ircclly )iluin |i('nannl;ir riii^' from the ].;ik('-(l\vt>llin}j
(if Ai