This large trefoil brooch is based on a find from the Roskilde Museum in Denmark. Trefoil brooches were worn by women and used as shawl or cloak brooches.
The original is depicted here: fibula.dk
A similar find from Värnamo in Sweden looks like this: samlingar.shm.se
The trefoil brooches are symmetrically shaped with three tabs and, like the equal-armed brooches, were almost always made in bronze and quite often gilded. They have been found from Iceland and England in the west to Russia in the east. From Denmark and surrounding areas such as Hedeby and Uppåkra there are many findings, and a number of stunning ones from Norway have also been found. In central and northern Sweden, they appear to be rare, except at Björkö/Birka, where about twenty trefoil brooches were found in graves. There are virtually no finds from Gotland. Animal ornaments are common in the decor, but some have a very clear plant ornamentation. Most trefoil brooches from southern Scandinavia are dated to the 800s, and only a few are dating to the 900s, but those from Björkö are often dated to the 850th-950s.
Made in bronze.
