Open work animal head brooch

Viking Animal head brooch from Gotland.

Here you can buy a detailed replica of an openwork animal head brooch from the Viking Age, after a historical model from Gotland.

Link to the original animal head brooch...

In the Viking Age, the animal-head brooch (or bear headed brooch) was worn almost exclusively on the Swedish island of Gotland as part of a woman's costume and was widespread there from the 8th to the 11th century.

The animal-head brooches worn in pairs were attached to the straps of the Viking-era apron dress. in addition, another animal-head brooch in a different style or a box brooch was often placed on the chest and used to close a cloak.

The Gothic animal head brooch has a base where the needle construction is located and measures 5 x 3.5 x 2.5 cm, making it somewhat smaller than the historical model.

The Gothic animal head brooch is available in high-quality bronze or in genuine silver-plated.

---

During the Viking Age, a different costume was worn on Gotland than in the rest of Scandinavia, which had completely independent costume components and brooch shapes. The typical bowl fibulae of the Viking women were only exceptionally worn on Gotland, but the women on Gotland wore so-called animal-head fibulae, which they attached in pairs to the wearer of the dress.

More than 1750 animal head brooches have been found on Gotland so far. Interestingly, the placement of the animal head brooches in graves often varies between collarbone height and elbow height, which suggests that in most cases the animal head brooches were probably worn at the level of the middle of the upper arm.

In Gothic animal head brooches, holes are often found on the base plates arranged in pairs, to which a chain may have been attached. In individual cases, a chain with toiletries, amulets or a key was also found on animal-head brooches, as was also common with the typical bowl brooches of the Viking Age.

Animal head brooches were mostly made of bronze, but a few examples made of silver are also known, some even with gilding. Interestingly, in some cases wool, threads and even coins were found in the cavities of Gothic animal head brooches. Possibly these had a practical use or a protective magical purpose.