Northern Europe, Viking / Norse or Anglo-Saxon, Migration Period, ca. 9th to 10th century CE. A tremendous circular brooch, made from silver and with inlaid gold details, with its face decorated with low relief Jellinge-style animals and Celtic-style crosses. The brooch is made from two hammered silver sheets riveted together, with the upper plate cut away to create its complex motifs. The back has a large pin and latch made from a single hammered piece of silver, also riveted onto the piece, with the pin coiled into a spiral to form a hinge. Size: 6.25" W (15.9 cm); 9.25" H (23.5 cm) on included custom stand; 362.9 grams

The surface decorations are incredible, dividing the surface into four quadrants around a round, golden boss. These quadrants are marked by diamonds containing fleur-de-lis in gold, with Celtic-style crosses set in between those. Fantastical animals, including deer, eagles, griffons, dragons, and wolves chase each other around the exterior, set within a ring made from eight gold panels, each with repeated concentric circle motifs. These are within the border, which has the rivets holding the sheets together interspersed with round gold discs. The piece is most likely an Anglo-Saxon emulation of the Viking Jellinge style, hence the inclusion of other symbols (the fleur-de-lis and crosses). An incredible piece of wearable artwork and displayed wealth, which in the volatile Viking period was often in the form of jewelry made from precious metals, this would have belonged to one of the highest members of society. A similar example (see below) was found in the vicinity of Canterbury Cathedral.

An almost identical piece is found in the British Museum: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=64493&partId=1

Provenance: private New York, USA collection

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#128407

Very light deposits on decorated surface, especially in lower profile areas. Very slight bending to form. The back of the brooch has some slight bending and tearing to the silver sheet. Pin is intact, with movement.