Description:

Northern Europe, Scandinavia, Viking, Urnes style, ca. 11th century CE. A striking gilt silver brooch of an elegant, serpentine design known as the Urnes style. The openwork ornament features a stylized animal entwined with foliate interlace and adorned with petite dashes in areas. Some scholars believe that this type of image - like the famous carving on the North Portal of the Urnes Stave Church at Ornes in Vestvold, Norway - represents Christian man entangled in the evil and sins of the world. Other suggest that it reflects the chaos of Ragnarok, The Norse end of the world. Size: 1.6" L x 1.3" W (4.1 cm x 3.3 cm); silver quality: 89%; weight: 6.4 grams

The combination of both broad and thin lines of ornament and scrolling loops is typical of the Scandinavian Urnes Style. This style is named after the wooden carvings at the church of Ornes, Norway. It shows the highly accomplished, final development of Germanic animal art in Viking regions before it merged locally into early Romanesque art. The Romanesque style came into fashion throughout western and northern Europe at the beginning of the Middle Ages.

Cf. The British Museum, 1891,1021.102, 1891,1021.103, and 1982,0602.1.

Provenance: private London, UK collection, acquired in Vienna, Austria, before 2000

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#189691

  • Condition: Missing pin on verso. Light surface wear commensurate with age, but otherwise, nice presentation with trace remains of gilding.

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October 25, 2024 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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