Sign in or register
for additional privileges

The Viking World

A History in 100 Objects

Austin Mason, Hannah Curtiss, Liza Davis, Jane Kelly, Kerim Omer Kadir Celik, Adante Ratzlaff, Leah Sacks, Kai Matsubara-Rall, Quinn Radich, Madeline Cosgriff, John Kennelly, Claire Jensen, Alperen Turkol, Jordan Cahn, Peter Hanes, Sarah Wang, Nick Carlsen, Ari Bakke, Phineas Callahan, Lauren Azuma, Justin Berchiolli, Rowan Matney, Ben Pletta, John Scott, Nick Cohen, Sophie Bokor, Authors
Clothing, page 17 of 21

Other paths that intersect here:
 

You appear to be using an older verion of Internet Explorer. For the best experience please upgrade your IE version or switch to a another web browser.

Terminal for an Open Ring Brooch

This roughly 2 by 5 inch piece of silver contains a great deal of information about Norse life. Found near Ektorp, Sweden and dating to around 950 CE, in addition to silver the brooch fragment also contains gold and is inlaid with niello. Its size alone indicates that it must have been quite valuable, especially considering that it was one of three similar pieces affixed to a large open ring brooch.1 Its characteristic decoration, possibly in the Borre style,2 indicates that it was indeed made in Scandinavia, not purchased or stolen from elsewhere (although the raw silver used to make it certainly would have been). Additionally, the fact that it is only a fragment suggests that, at some point, the raw materials of the brooch were more valuable than the brooch itself (as a piece of jewelry). It likely was broken up so that the silver could be used for trade or remade into other objects.3
Comment on this page
 

Discussion of "Terminal for an Open Ring Brooch"

Add your voice to this discussion.

Checking your signed in status ...

Previous page on path Clothing, page 17 of 21 Next page on path

Clothing    Sweden    Silver    800-1000 CE    Jewelry    Metalwork    Brooch    Gold

Related:  Earl of Pembroke's SwordFinnish Bronze HoardThe Birka GirlGold ArmringBirka CrucifixIron Hatchet Head, 9th centuryBorre Style PendantTwo Volva StaffsLocationDress Pin in BronzeHoard Find from Vester VedstedDEMO: Circular Bracteate PendantEigg Sword HiltBow Brooch in Copper and GarnetRök RunestoneSilver ArmletSilver Figure of FreyaReins Guide in the Borre StyleRing with Inscription "To Allah"Penny From the Reign of Anlaf GuthfrithssonSuontaka SwordGullög’s RunestoneKiaby BroochIron Sickle, 800 ADThe Ulfberht SwordWeaving BattenHelmet from Grave I at Vendel, SwedenBurial SwordMaterialsCopper Alloy Mount for a StirrupLeather Whip, 11th centuryClench BoltMammen AxeAntler Comb with Matching CaseScale and Weights from the HebridesDrinking Horn / TerminalSilver Penny of CnutStamford Mint Silver CoinSilver BraceletPicture StoneAbassid CoinGlass Game PiecesBrooch in the Urnes Style from Kiaby, Skåne, SwedenThe New ValkyrieThe Silver Penny of Sven EstridsenHemdrup StickTimeUppland Runestone 613A Mold for Religious AmuletsRune stone Sö 108StirrupSilver Neck RingBrass RingPattern-Welded SwordPin with ChainSilver Penny from the Reign of Cnut the Great Minted in Bath, EnglandNorse KeyDecorated Sword PommelPiraeus Graffiti LionGrey Ceramic PitcherOseberg ShipAntler DuckAnimal Head Post from OsebergIron Spearhead with Silver EmbellishmentsRunestone Morby UpplandIron NeckletGokstad ShipThemeBox-Shaped BroochRanvaig's CasketCup from the Halton Moor HoardTjängvide Image StoneIron SeaxRhenish Glass BeakerWhalebone PlaqueJelling Stone