Lot 51
High-quality copy of a pair of oval shell brooches (Viking, early to mid-10th century) from the late 19th century.
Works of Art, Antiquities & Ancient Art | A106kua | Live auction | 604 Lots
Description
Two identically designed, curved silver brooches with an oval outline and gold-plated decorative elements. In the centre is a row of five vertically arranged bumps with four holes, with a row of three such bumps to the left and right. The edge is decorated with a gold-plated band of spiral tendrils, and the bosses parallel to the edge are connected by a similar oval band. Two further bands are arranged in a cross shape, running between the five vertically arranged bosses and horizontally between the middle bosses of the three rows. In each of the two fields between the middle row of bosses and the two outer rows, there is an animal in the Jelling style with a bird's head and long beak, as well as a stylised body with a torso and limbs made of braided ribbon with lines and spirals. On the hollow back, at the top, there are remnants of gravel baked in iron oxide with remnants of the iron needle in a hinge, and at the bottom, the needle holder. Height 8.5 cm, width 5.3 cm. Total weight: 127.55 gr. The results of an X-ray fluorescence analysis of the alloy suggest that it is not of ancient origin, but rather a 19th-century copy from an older collection.Provenance: South German private collection, inherited from the consignor's father in the late 1990s.
Condition: I - II Questions about the lot?
