Box-shaped brooch

Gilded bronze box brooch with silver niello details and gold filigree decoration. The brooch has a number of decorations which reflect both Old Norse religion and Christianity. This is one of the box brooches with the richest variety of motifs to be found. The lid is crowned with a silver plated, niello decorated knob resembling a well, which is surrounded by four beast of prey heads. The fields in between are covered by abstract, human-like figures in gold filigree, with long tassels of hair at the sides which they grip with their hands. The edges of the lid and the sides of the box brooch are encircled by carved rope patterns of silver niello. The sites are divided up into four fields with 'traditional' chip-carving, looping animal decoration. Between each field there is a wide, pointed, openwork niello decorated silverplate with triquetra patterns. Found "under a stenvast [stone field boundary wall]", Krasse, Guldrupe Parish, Gotland.

Image rights: Ola Myrin, Historiska museet/SHM (CC BY 4.0)

Object number: 120461_HST

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