Object Description
A delicate Viking openwork bronze appliqué depicting a pair of stylised zoomorphic animals. The two opposed, but mirrored, animals are intertwined so that their chests and bellies are facing each other near the base and their heads are turned away. Their hind legs rest against the backs of each other’s head and their slender bodies are enmeshed within a lattice of tails, limbs and lappets. Incised lines to the surface of the appliqué help to distinguish the two animals. Their faces are detailed with pointillé trails around the eyes. The eyes, as well as holes between the limbs and behind the tails might have served as rivet-holes for attachment.
Date: 8th-10th century AD