Mid Bronze Age Penannular Bracelet, Bronze - Kent, South East England - c.1400-1300 BC

A well preserved Bronze Age copper alloy penannular bracelet, surviving in intact condition. The object retains its complete form and structural integrity, with only slight distortion from ancient pressure.

The terminals are flattened into simple pad-like ends, framing the characteristic open gap of the design. The form is deliberately understated, lacking ornamentation, which is consistent with a wide range of Middle Bronze Age utilitarian personal ornaments found in hoard contexts across southern Britain.

The bracelet is relatively small in size, suggesting it was intended for a child or a small adult wrist. Its proportions fall within the smaller end of Bronze Age personal ornamentation, and it is more appropriately classified as a bracelet rather than an armring, despite sharing the same penannular form typical of the period.

The surface retains a stable, uncleaned archaeological patina with intermittent patches of exposed bronze alloy visible beneath, creating a natural contrast between natural corrosion and surviving metal.  
The object remains robust and well-preserved, with no evidence of modern restoration or cleaning. 
No casting seam is visible on the surface, indicating a well-executed casting process and careful finishing. 

Specimen Details:

Specimen: Middle Bronze Age Penannular Bracelet 

Origin : Kent, South East England

Material: (Copper alloy) bronze  

Dimensions: 59mm across, 8mm thick. 
(to widest points)

Context: Likely part of a dispersed Bronze Age hoard or isolated loss from Middle Bronze Age activity in south-eastern Britain

Provenance: Held within a long-established private English collection prior to acquisition by Collectors Cabin

Comparable Specimens:

This form is consistent with Middle Bronze Age penannular bracelets and armrings recorded in hoard assemblages across southern England. A comparable example is recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme:

P.A.S Unique ID: WILT-B61 F78        (No.3) 

Further parallels are noted from significant Bronze Age hoards including:  
The Monkswood hoard, Somerset (Smith 1959, Inv Arch GB. 42 2(1) & 2(2), see nos. 3-7), the Brading Marsh hoard (Isle of Wight), Hampshire (Rowlands 1976, 238), and Ebbesbourne Wake hoard, Wiltshire (Rowlands 1976, 271-21).