Urnes Style Brooch, Bronze

Urnes Style Brooch

The fibula is handcrafted from real bronze with operative pin and will be delivered with certificate. Size ca. 40 x 45 mm.

Urnes Brooch - The Original

The burial site of Lindholm Höje s the largest viking grave field in Denmark. It is situated in northern Jutland with a wide view over the Limfjord and the near city of Aalborg.
Since the 4th century, about 700 burials were placed at the site, mostly only with a few burial gifts and marked by stones. Visitors can still have a look at large stone settings in shape of vinking ships.
The deceased may had been inhabitants of the nearby village, that was also discovered and archaeologically investigated. An exhibition well worth seeing was placed in the local museum, giving further informations of the grave field and the settlement where the original of our Urnes-Brooch had been found. It was discovered in a layer of debris at the viking village, which was deserted probably before the 12th century.

Urnes Style

To understand the depictions of the viking artstyles, it is necessary to have a look on the evolution of the viking art. Additional to the production of objects for cult and religion, the art and craftmanship of the nordic viking period of the early middle ages was also used  to decorate secular jewellery and simple objects of everday life. The basic patterns of the viking artstyles are

1. depictions of animals and humans
2. plant-based ornamentations like tendrils, leafs or blossoms
3. geometric components like spirals, circles etc.

The so-called Urnes-Style is the last of the great artstyles of the viking period and was in use since the mid of the 11th century AD. The style was named after a large wooden stave church in Norway, where stunning woodcarvings decorate the portals.
The Urnes-Style developed from his pecedessors Mammen- and Ringerike-Style and is distinguished by animal depictions of small and delicate physique with a pointed head (like a roe deer). A special optical effect is achieved by the additional use of curved lines.

At Urnes, the animal seems to be in a fight with snakes, maybe a depiction of the eternal battle between good and evil.

Literature:
T. Capelle, Die Wikinger, Kultur- und Kunstgeschichte, Darmstadt 1988, ISBN 3-534-80032-X
Ausstellungskatalog Wikinger, Waräger, Normannen. Die Skandinavier und Europa 800-1200 , Mainz 1992, ISBN 3-8053-1475-2

Literatur:
T. Capelle, Die Wikinger, Kultur- und Kunstgeschichte, Darmstadt 1988, ISBN 3-534-80032-X
Ausstellungskatalog Wikinger, Waräger, Normannen. Die Skandinavier und Europa 800-1200 , Mainz 1992, ISBN 3-8053-1475-2