The ring brooch was the most important piece of jewellery in Norwegian traditional dress. Ring brooches can be circular or heart-shaped, and their design dates from the Middle Ages. They differ from modern brooches in the way they fasten. The wearer pulls the cloth of the garment through the central hole, and then spears it with the pin. The greater the strain on the pin, the more secure the fastening. Ring brooches were worn throughout Norway in the 18th and 19th century. Their shape and pattern varied by district and use. They were worn by men, women, and children.

There are well over 50 different names for brooches in Norwegian. Each kind of brooch has its own distinctive name, some of which date back to the Middle Ages.

A hornring is a ring brooch made from a ring of cast silver, with six mounts on the front: two at each side, forming horns, and one each at the top and bottom. The mounts were originally cast, usually as faces, but by the 19th century they were mainly made of filigree. Hornringer are often very rubbed, as they were mainly used by men, who wore them with their everyday clothing. Women’s hornringer usually have pendants. They were most common in Telemark.

This brooch is decorated with six filigree mounts, damaged and worn down by long use.