Cultures/periods: Viking; Celtic
Production date: 8thC(late)-9thC
Excavated/Findspot: Europe: Scandinavia: Norway: Nord-Trøndelag (county): Namdalen: Lilleberge
Materials: iron; copper alloy; gold; tin
Technique: gilded; tinned
A gilded copper alloy mount with a tinned edge, converted to be worn as a disc brooch by the addition of iron fitting pins riveted to the reverse; the cast decoration consists of a border of three panels of running knot weave, separated by three smaller, subrectangular weave panels and surrounding three leaping, dolphin-like creatures arranged nose to tail in arcade around a raised central circle; the creatures have long muzzles, teary eyes, and tapering, patterned bodies; the circle contains a quatrofoil motif and is surrounded by a plastered border separated from the creatures' bellies by three panels with interlacing knots between pairs of ribbed triangles; the panels and circle are separated from each other by flat ribs.