Viking Age Bronze Tortoise Brooch with Jellinge Style Ornament

10TH CENTURY A.D.

3 3/4 in. (74 grams, 93 mm).

Comprising a domed, elliptical body and narrow flange border; the decorative scheme comprising four lobed faces with annular eyes amid Jellinge Style tendril ornamentation and a barred field; an asymmetrical piercing to the flange for a swag of beads to be attached to the rim; catch to the reverse together with a sturdy T-shaped fitting for the pin attached to the inside of the dome. [No Reserve]

Provenance

Ex property of a Dutch collector before 2014.
From the collection of a North American gentleman.

Literature

Cf. Nerman, B., Die Vendelzeit Gotlands, Stockholm, 1969, pl.VII:5, item 271.

Footnotes

Tortoise brooches were associated strongly with wealthy females in Scandinavian communities from Ireland to Russia. Regional taste affected the decoration and the height of the dome; the present example has a carinated profile.

CONDITION

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LOT 1473