Tortoise Brooches, BJ 837, Birka

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A pair of carefully handmade and detailed 10th Century Viking tortoise brooches in Oseberg style. By far the most common design, 1000 copies have been excavated in archaeological digs - such as in Birka in Sweden, Bornholm in Denmark and Trondelag in Norway. Tortoise brooches (dress brooches) are worn in pairs on the front of a Viking woman's dress. It was customary to suspend a string of beads and charms between them. The original pair (Petersen Typlology P51) we have based these on were found in grave Bj837 in Birka, Sweden.

The brooches are sold in pairs.

Norse women wore pairs of oval brooches to fasten the shoulder straps of a tunic worn over other garments. Beads of amber, wood or glass may have hung between these brooches or a chain with useful items such as a comb or keys. Nearly all finds of dress brooches are crafted from bronze.