Ring Brooch
19th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
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 vestlandssølje is a hybrid kind of brooch introduced at the beginning of the 19th century. It has a base like the back plate of a bolesølje, with stylised faces on it like those on a glibbsølje. These brooches are almost always gilded, and covered with pendants, so it is sometimes difficult to see the basic shape of the brooch at all.
They were worn, as their name implies, throughout the west of Norway.
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 vestlandssølje is a hybrid kind of brooch introduced at the beginning of the 19th century. It has a base like the back plate of a bolesølje, with stylised faces on it like those on a glibbsølje. These brooches are almost always gilded, and covered with pendants, so it is sometimes difficult to see the basic shape of the brooch at all.
They were worn, as their name implies, throughout the west of Norway.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Stamped and engraved silver, partly gilded |
| Brief description | Circular ring brooch (vestlandssølje) of gilded silver with pendant discs, Norway, 19th century. |
| Physical description | A circular ring brooch made of sheet silver stamped and engraved with a pattern of six shallow domes, separated by triangular points. On each of the points and domes there is a loop with a pendant disc (one missing). The tang is lightly engraved with hatched lines. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Production | Mainly worn in the west of Norway |
| Summary | 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 vestlandssølje is a hybrid kind of brooch introduced at the beginning of the 19th century. It has a base like the back plate of a bolesølje, with stylised faces on it like those on a glibbsølje. These brooches are almost always gilded, and covered with pendants, so it is sometimes difficult to see the basic shape of the brooch at all. They were worn, as their name implies, throughout the west of Norway. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | MET.LOST.494 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | July 6, 2007 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
