Brooches - Viking Paired Styles

Brooches - Viking Paired Styles
Oval Brooches
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Oval Brooches
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This article's completion rating is 2 out of 5. Article structure and content is subject to change as data is still being collected.

This article's completion rating is 2 out of 5. Article structure and content is subject to change as data is still being collected.

Oval brooches [V/F]

Usually worn in pairs, their purpose is to hold up the Hangerock.

Viking Age Oval brooches are larger than their Vendel precursors with typical sizes shown in the following table by Martin Rundkvist. [RUNDKVIST 2010:p.155]
Berdal. L 57–113mm
P25. L 96–103mm
P27. L 98–113mm
P37. L 96–110mm

Art
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Literature

• "Each woman wears on either breast a box of iron, silver, copper or gold; the value of the box indicates the wealth of the husband. Each box has a ring from which depends a knife". Ibn Fadlan's Account of the Rus.

Archaeology
An estimated 4000 are known from all over the Viking world (OWEN and DALLAND 1999, p.68).
Discussion
Disappear in Denmark during the C10th (ROESDAHL 1982)

Berdal P11-P24

780AD - 850AD [RUNDKVIST 2010:p.165]
[PETERSEN 1928:p.12-22]

P25/26

Petersen considered the P25 brooch to be the earliest type of Viking period oval brooch. [PETERSEN 1928:p.24]

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P27/28

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P37 - Gripping Beast Style [V/F]

Date: C9th
Includes Petersen types P35, P36, P38, P39
Archaeology

• All Viking Area’s: 500 copies (Paulsen 1933)
• Norway: 235 copies from 217 finds (PETERSEN 1928)??

Discussion
P37 is the most common type found at Birka. (OWEN and DALLAND 1999, p.68). Accounts for 3 out of every 5 brooches from Norway and half of those found from the east. (EWING 2007, p.60)

Images: V2C 101a, 101b, 101c, 101d

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P42/43/44

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P45

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P48/49

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P51 - Late Oseberg Style - Double Shelled [V/F]

Date: Early C10th Art
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Literature
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Archaeology

• All Viking Area’s: 1000 copies
• Norway: 469 copies from 310 finds

Discussion
Most common form of brooch.

Images: VAC 118

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P52/55 - Baroque Style [V/F]

Date: C10th. An eastern style that is rarely found in the west.
P52 are open work with a double shell. P55 are cheaper copies cast in one piece.
Art
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Literature
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Archaeology
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Discussion
Very common in the east, 25% of finds. Not usually found in the west. (EWING 2007, p.60)

Images

P52 Open – VAC 119, VAC 120, VAC 121

P55 Solid -

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Gotland brooches [V/F]

Animal-head

Gotland only. Sometimes found in 3’s (EWING 2007, p.60) (ROESDAHL and WILSON 1992, p.192, 300 cat.274)

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Drum Shaped

[ROESDAHL and WILSON 1992:p.254 cat.104]

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