The British Museum

Pitney Brooch Viking or Anglo-Saxon 6831 Pitney Container, H5cm x Ø11cm

6831

Featuring a harmonious merging of Viking Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon art styles, the openwork brooch depicts a round-eyed snake biting the neck of a four-legged animal, which in turn bites itself. The animal’s body is marked out with a line of beads and spirals. The fierce battle between these two fantastical creatures is brought to life on the lid of a trinket box.

The Pitney Brooch, Viking or Late Anglo-Saxon, late 11th century, Pitney, England, British Museum 1979,1101.1

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