Buckelfibel mit Pferdeköpfen aus Birka

Oval brooch with horse heads from Birka.

This large and splendid Viking oval brooch with horse heads was made according to a historical find from the Viking town of Birka o the isle of Björkö in Sweden and dates from 900 to 950 AD.

The oval brooch is also called tortoise brooch or bowl brooch and was a traditional part of women's dress during the Viking period. This special Viking brooches served to connect the apron with the dress when worn in pairs below the right and left shoulder.

A special feature of this type of oval brooch are the four humps designed as a horse's head, which are a real eye-catcher. Such oval brooches with horse heads are also known from Norway and Iceland.

The head at the lower end of the oval brooch serves as an eyelet and was inspired from another oval brooch model. Here, for example, a chain can be hung up. The solid needle construction on the back is also suitable for strong wool fabrics.

This oval brooch replica is made of high-quality bronze and is also available in genuine silver-plated.

Dimensions: 10,5 x 6,5 x 4.5 cm. Weight per brooch approx. 169 g.

During the Viking Age oval brooches were always worn in pairs. Therefore, it is advisable to order two brooches. The indicated price refers to a single oval brooch.

From 800 to 1000 A.D., the oval brooch was an essential part of women's dresses in Northern Europe, and so the turtle brooch is often found in burials of the Viking Age, whereby the respective design gave information about the social status of the owner. The tortoise brooch is one of the most numerous types of brooches of the Viking Age and can be found in finds from Ireland to Russia.
In addition to inexpensive mass-produced brooches of bronze, there were also precious silver bowl brooches of the highest quality. Often one or more chains were hung one on top of the other between the oval brooches and sometimes attached to a disc brooch or trefoil brooch in the middle of the chest.