Jonas Lau Markussen

Style I

The Anatomy of Germanic Art

 

 

 

 

 

This article is a work in progress and will be updated.

 

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The Anatomy of Style I

 

c. 450 – 550

 

 

 

Shapes

 

1. Spirals and spiral patterns.
2. Striation/Hatching patterns.
3. Striated pellets for joints.
4. Heads in profile.
5. Heads facing forward.
6. Boat-shaped eyes.
7. Open mouth with long jaws and curling lips.
8. Short, downwards-curving mouth.
9. Crescent-shaped eyebrow-bow.
10. Almond-shaped hips.
11. Leaf-like feet with curved outlines.
12. Feet with toe-fronds.
13. Curling back-toes occur.

 

 

Outlines

 

Even outlines with slight tapering.

 

 

Flow

 

A mix of geometric and wavy curves.

 

A. S-shapes.
B. Single loops.

 

 

Pattern

 

  • Very tight interlace with almost no visible background.
  • Double contour occur.
  • Single-stranded ribbons.
  • Double-stranded ribbons.
  • Multi-stranded ribbons.
  • High relief.
  • Ribbons are broken into panels by intersection.
  • Only two line widths.

 

 

 

Composition

 

  • Carpet-like distribution of motifs and shapes of equal size and equal compositional value (A, C).
  • Geometric and zoomorphic framework (A).
  • Compositions based on line-symmetry (A, B).
  • Triskellion or swastika compositions of 3-fold and 4-fold rotational-symmetrical animal heads (D).

 

 

 

Motifs

 

  • Geometric patterns (A, D).
  • Four-legged animals (A, B).
  • Animal Heads (A, D).
  • Human figures (C).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Examples

 

 

Examples on Gelmir.com →

A list of examples with photos, info and links to sources.

 

 

 

Undateable

 

Animal-shaped brooch

Engegård Nord, Bornholm, Denmark.
Nationalmuseet, København, C35692.

 

Bowl

Vimose, Fyn, Denmark.
Nationalmuseet, København, 24452.

 

Buckle

Snartemo, Agder, Norway.
Kulturhistorisk Museum, Oslo, C26001/b.

 

Cup

Uppåkra, Skåne, Sweden.
Historiska museet vid Lunds universitet.

 

Drinking Horn Mounts

Taplow, Buckinghamshire, England.
The British Museum, London, 1883,1214.19.

 

Glass Cup

Snartemo, Agder, Norway.
Kulturhistorisk Museum, Oslo, C26001/v.

 

Radiate-headed Brooch

Dalshøj, Bornholm, Denmark.
Nationalmuseet, København, DNF 1/51.

 

Square-headed Brooch — Bratsberg

Bratsberg, Telemark, Norway.
Kulturhistorisk Museum, Oslo, C26566.

 

Square-headed Brooch — Falkum

Falkum, Telemark, Norway.
Kulturhistorisk Museum, Oslo, C21856/b.I.

 

Square-headed Brooch — Fonnås

Fonnås, Innlandet, Norway.
Kulturhistorisk Museum, Oslo, C8154.

 

Square-headed Brooch — Hove Mølle

Hove Mølle, Sjælland, Denmark.
Nationalmuseet, København, 10739.

 

Square-headed Brooch — Kvåle

Kvåle, Vestland, Norway.
Universitetsmuseet i Bergen, Bergen, B6516

 

Square-headed Brooch — Lunde

Lunde, Agder, Norway.
Universitetsmuseet i Bergen, Bergen, B3543.

 

Square-headed Brooch — Lundbjers

Lundbjers, Gotland, Sweden.
Gotlands Museum, Visby, GFC7182.

 

Square-headed Brooch — Søtvet

Søtvet, Vestfold, Norway.
Kulturhistorisk Museum, Oslo, C9441.

 

Sword — Snartemo, C28026

Snartemo, Agder, Norway.
Kulturhistorisk Museum, Oslo, C28026/a.

 

Sword — Snartemo, C26001

Snartemo, Agder, Norway.
Kulturhistorisk Museum, Oslo, C26001.

 

 

 

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