Viking Age Silver-Gilt Brooch with Interlaced Birds

Flat-section cruciform plaque with tong-and-dot detailing to obverse, barrel-shaped Byzantine-style suspension loop. 27.2 grams, 73 mm



Acquired on the London art market in the late 1980s-1990s. From the family collection of an East London, UK, gentleman.

Comprising: a long and narrow tongue-shaped type (Paulsen's Gruppe V 2A, Untergruppe C) with scooped upper edge and palmette motif to the centre, spurs to the a vertical band of reserved stylised ring-chain decoration on a pounced field, long lateral straps and a knop finial; a heater-shaped type (Paulsen's Gruppe I 2, Untergruppe C) with central openwork panel displaying a bird in flight with the fan-shaped tail marked with radiating lines, guilloche bands to the outer sides, upper edges angled and with lobe at the apex; an elongated type (Gruppe V 1) with low-relief pointillé bands to each face and a palmette at the apex of the central spur; a long tongue-shaped type (Paulsen's Gruppe I 1) with an openwork centre and Ringerike Style bird formed with looped bands, pellets to the pinions, a triangular in plan head joined to the inner faces of the ropework border forming the upper edge of the chape, with a wolf's head at the apex and stepped knop finial; a single plaque (Gruppe V 1) from a two-part chape, long and rounded with palemete detailing to the upper edge, tendrils and scrolls to the body, pierced in two places to accept rivets. 178 grams total, 51-70 mm



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

Most of these chapes originate in Sweden or the western Baltic according to Paulsen's classification.

Featuring a squat cylindrical body, ornate cruciform motif to upper face, zoomorphic panels to the side wall; hollow-formed; remains of pin lug and catchplate to reverse. 93 grams, 53 mm



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