Fish head sleeve
Fish head pods ( Swedish fiskhuvudformiga hang ) are traditional costume components made of sheet bronze or cast bronze, which were found in Vendelzeit hoards and in contemporary women's graves such as that of Hallveda on Gotland in Sweden .
They consist of a conical sleeve, which is divided by ring decorations, at the thinner end of which is the characteristic fish's mouth surrounded by circular eyes (in Swedish: dot-circled ). Fish head pods date from the 8th to 10th centuries.
Fish head shaped pendants have often been found as necklaces. Most of them are in such good condition that the existing ornamentation can be recognized from five, seven or nine circular eyes. The pattern most often placed on the mouth varies even among the pendants of the same necklace. Cast specimens have only appeared in hoards, while the tin sleeves were part of traditional costume that were given to the grave.
A striking number show misappropriations. On the one hand, eyelets (for chains etc.) were often attached, on the other hand they were converted into fibulae by attaching fasteners and soldering up to three sleeves .
literature
- Mårten Stenberger : Nordic prehistory. Volume 4: Prehistory of Sweden. Wachholtz, Neumünster 1977, ISBN 3-529-01805-8 , p. 390 f.