Beschreibung:

VIKING TORTOISE BROOCH, PENDANT AND CHAIN SET 9th century AD A complete woman's brooch and pendant assemblage comprising: two bronze oval brooches, each domed with raised ornament, wide flange, ferrous remains of the pin to the reverse; suspended from the lower edge of each brooch a triangular openwork spacer plate with three tiers of red and green glass tubular beads, the lower tier with a discoid pendant plaque with bands of raised pellets; three double-link chains running between the plates; three more chains from each plate with an amuletic or decorative pendant comprising a bronze model knife in its sheath, a silver(?) dirhem coin, an iron model dog with punched decoration, a latch-lifter key, a pair of bronze crotal bells, a stone disc or spindle whorl. 572 grams total, brooches: 62mm (2 1/2"). Fine condition, cleaned and conserved. Provenance Property of a London businessman, from his grandfather's collection formed after World War II; thence by descent 1972. Literature See MacGregor, A. et al. A Summary Catalogue of the Continental Archaeological Collections, Oxford, 1997, item 4 for oval brooches; cf. Ewing, T. Viking Clothing, Stroud, 2007. Footnotes Women's display jewellery in the Viking age comprised both utilitarian and symbolic items. The brooches were worn high on the chest, supporting an apron-type overdress (hangerok) with the beads and chains strung between them and various small items attached. The pendants probably symbolised the authority of the female in the domestic sphere (key, coin, spindle whorl), in husbandry (model animal, crotal bells, model knife).