With cylindrical transverse head plate, scooped profile to the bow, catch to the reverse; shallow enamel cells with reserved 'VITA VENI' legend translating to: '(My) life, come (to me)'. 'Vita veni' is enigmatic: 'vita' is the common Latin noun for 'life' and 'veni' is the verbal form '[it] came'. The Romans used the word vita ('life') as a term of endearment; Cicero, for example, when writing to his wife, calls her mea vita ('my life'), equivalent to 'darling'. Size: 3.7 cm L - 1 7/16 inch Material: Bronze Culture: Roman, c. 1st Century A.D. Condition: Pin missing, catch plate chipped, otherwise intact. Provenance: Found Suffolk, UK. From an East Anglian private collection. Literature: Cf. Bayley, J. & Butcher, S., Roman Brooches in Britain: A Technological and Typological Study based on the Richborough Collection, London, 2004, item 244, for type. The seller guarantees that this item has been legally acquired & will be legally exported, related documents seen by Catawiki. This item do not need an export licence within the EU. The seller will inform the buyer if it needs a UK export licence outside the EU Worldwide shipping by Registered Mail. Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity N.B. Import duties may be incurred on orders shipped to countries outside the UK. Items purchased between 20 December and 31st December will be shipped after the New Year.