The British Museum

Penannular Brooch Celtic or Viking 36005 Goldsborough Valet Tray, Ø14cm

36005

An artefact from the Goldsborough hoard, the silver bossed penannular brooch was used to fasten cloaks and functioned as a status symbol that demonstrated the wealth and rank of the wearer. Stylised animal heads and openwork ornamentation decorate the ends of the brooch. The delicate beauty of the zoomorphic motifs is echoed in a contemporary home accessory, the valet tray.

Silver bossed penannular brooch, possibly Celtic or Viking, around the 9th to 10th century, Goldsborough, England, British Museum 1859,0511.2

A N C I E N T T R E A S U R E S

A N C I E N T T R E A S U R E S