Richly decorated and with an applied backplate; the body of the brooch formed as a hollow-cast case with upstanding ears and a slightly 'clubbed' end to the muzzle with a narrow median raised band separating the face into two panels; both those and the upper panel (between the 'ears') decorated with interlaced ornament in low relief depicting serpents locked in combat, their bodies dramatically entwined; on the rear panel four 'lower arm and hand' motifs, radiating from a central lozenge with pellet; rectangular guilloche to the lower borders, muzzle-band, rear panel and median upper band; Jellinge Style scrollwork to the outer and upper faces of the conical 'ears'; a hinged pin to the underside with curved shield, applied plate to the underside with two bands of punched lozenge decoration.

PROVENANCE:
Private collection, New York, USA.
with Artemis Gallery, Colorado, USA, 15 February 2018, no.58.
Private American collection, New York, USA.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12073-211003.

LITERATURE:
Cf. MacGregor, A. et al., A Summary Catalogue of the Continental Archaeological Collections, Oxford, 1997, item 3.20; an earlier and much plainer example is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, under reference 1992.59.3.

FOOTNOTES:
Box-shaped hollow animal-head brooches were created on the island of Gotland, Sweden, although they have been found in other parts of the Viking world. They were made to be worn in pairs high on the chest of women's 'hangerok' apron-dresses with chains and swags of beads suspended between them. They are found in women's burials alongside utility items such as a knife or tweezers, and formed part of the costume of females from prosperous families. This example shows exceptionally fine decoration and would have been a treasured item, denoting the wealth and status of the family of the woman who wore it.