Viking thistle brooch
- Gallery: Room 1
- Culture: Viking
- Date: 10thC(early)
- Object type: thistle brooch, penannular brooch
- Materials: silver
- Museum number: 1909,0624.2
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
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About this object
Before you lies a striking example of Viking craftsmanship: a silver thistle brooch. The brooch is of a penannular type, featuring a hoop and a large, ball-shaped pin-head.
Each terminal of the brooch has a textured bramble surface, created with diagonal filing and punched projections. The reverse sides reveal intricate marigold patterns, incised in delicate detail. The terminals, once hollow-cast, are now damaged but remain impressive in scale.
This brooch dates to the early 10th century and is part of a type known as "ball-type" penannular brooches. These items were prized not only for their beauty but also as a portable form of wealth. Brooches like this were worn by men on outer garments, often made of heavy cloaks, with the pin pointing upward.
Crafted from silver, this brooch reflects the Viking adaptation of earlier Celtic designs, combining both function and status in one remarkable object.
See it in person
Viking thistle brooch is on display in Room 1 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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