Viking Age Latten Inlaid Iron Key

Comprising a plaque with two lateral arms, pierced for attachment, and two loops below secured with rivets; the arms with notched and lobed edges, the plaque with central motif of a bearded face with lobes to the temples, pellet eyes, modelled in the half-round. 9.19 grams, 36 mm



Acquired on the German art market before 2000. From an old Munich collection.

Modelled facing left, stylised wing and body detailing; remains of a fitting element to reverse. 6.06 grams, 30 mm



From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.

Bird brooches from the late(r) Viking era have been found in Scandinavia as well in areas occupied and inhabited by the Vikings and Norsemen within England, in Anglo-Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon contexts. These so-called bird shaped brooches can be dated to the 11th and even early 12th century. Stylistically the brooch here cannot be categorised as a distinct 'Viking style' such as the late Urnes style, although some types of other bird shaped brooches shows us connections to the Ringerike and Urnes style. The decoration and form of the bird on the brooch here is more influenced by the development of Romanesque styles spreading from the Continent into Scandinavian art, like the style of a bird, depicted on the right corner next to the door portal of Rimsø Kirke, Jylland, completed in 1150 A.D.

Displaying facetted terminals displaying punched circlets, pelletted triangles and faux ropework to the body and faux ropework to the articulate pin head. 21.9 grams, 39 mm wide



From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.

Penannular brooches with facetted terminals were part of the famous Kostivere hoard, found in Estonia, deposited in around 1220-1230 during the wars of Estonians against the Germans and Danes. The annular brooches with animal ornaments in Urnes style were considered by the archaeologists definitely Scandinavian, more specifically from Gotland.