Viking Bronze Buckle with Beast Head

Composed of a pair of brooches with pin to the reverse; attached to each brooch is a double rosette spacer with chain extending to other tortoise brooch; from the other rosette spacer hang two more chains, one with a needle case with openwork scroll pattern above, and one with a decorated lunate pendant; mounted on a large high-quality custom-made display stand by Colin Bowles Limited. 6.75 kg total, 55 x 47.5 cm including display frame

Fine condition. Rare.

Property of a professional collector; acquired before 1990. Ex London collection since 2016. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11736-201216.

The most characteristic items of Viking women's jewellery are oval brooch pairs, sometimes called tortoise brooches due to their shape, found in many Viking Age female graves. As in this example, the tortoise brooches themselves were sometimes chained together. These chains suspended from the pair of brooches also supported utilitarian objects such as tweezers, ear spoon, scissors and a small knife, as well as amulets. Sometimes the brooches suspended strands of beads of glass, silver, amber or jet.

Of discoid form with central motif of a low-relief regardant beast with piriform shoulder and punced body, looped tendrils enmeshing the body. 9.1 grams, 35 mm



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

Integral suspension loop, Borre style regardant beast in relief to one face, raised chevrons to the loop. 10.1 grams, 41 mm



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