Vendel horse brooch Birka, right, bronze

Product description

In the 1870s, archaeologist Hjalmar Stolpe unearthed the originals in grave Bj 854 at Birka, on the island of Adelsö in Upland, Sweden. Made from partially gilded silver with garnet-inlaid eyes, the brooches were likely produced in Scandinavia and buried in a 10th-century Viking tomb. Stylistic analysis, however, suggests the horses themselves may date from the 6th or 7th century.

The design and craftsmanship suggest these horses were originally created as decorative fittings. At some point, someone adapted them with a pin mechanism so they could function as brooches. That adaptation points to their long-standing importance — possibly as heirlooms passed down through generations before the family placed them in the grave. Read more