Viking Age Bronze Penannular Omega Brooch

The Viking Age, c. 850-1066AD, Scandinavia.

Exceptional and fine Viking Age bronze alloy penannular omega-type brooch featuring a free-moving central pin, connected to the circular, coiled body via a loop. Brooches such as this one were status symbols, tradable goods in lieu of currency, and are often found as grave goods to provision the dead for the afterlife. Penannular brooches feature a long pin attached by its head to a ring; the pin can move freely around the ring as far as the rolled terminals, which are close together. The brooches were worn by both men and women, usually singly at the shoulder by men and on the breast by women, and with the pin pointing up. With a penannular brooch, the pin is pushed through folds of the cloth, which are then pulled back inside the ring, the free end of the pin passes through the gap in the ring. The Viking Age was the period during the Middle Ages when Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. 

Excellent condition. Intact. Age-related wear. Corrosion. Encrusted green patina. Size approx. 4,3cm x 4,3cm x 0,5cm.

Provenance: Swedish private collection.

For a similar examples see:

Penannular brooch, The British Museum, Accession Number: 1852,0329.291 (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1852-0329-291)

Solki; rullapäinen hevosenkenkäsolki, Finnish Heritage Agency, Accession Number: (https://www.finna.fi/Record/museovirasto.E848C51A59D97EE5008A475362AA9008)