Style II C

The Anatomy of Germanic Art

 

• Introduction
• Early Animal Style
• Style I
  • Gold Bracteates
• Style II B
  • Gold Foil Figures
  • Helmet Plates
• Style II C
• Style II D
• Style III E (Broa Style)
  • Figurative Motifs

 

• The Anatomy of Viking Art

 

 

 

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

 

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The Anatomy of Style II C

 

c. 600 – 700

 

 

 

Shapes

 

1. Visible background between the ribbon body outlines.
2. Spirals.
3. Head in profile.
4. Round Eyes.
5. Elongated jaws wit curved lips.
6. Teeth occur frequently.
7. Pointy chin.
8. Head-lappets occur.
9. Almond-shaped hips with an outlined sphere in the centre.
10. Open leaf-like feet with curved outlines.
11. Spiral back-toe.

 

 

Outlines

 

Even outlines without tapering or indents.

 

 

Flow

 

A preference for geometric curves.

 

A. S-shapes.
B. Single loops.
C. Figure-of-eights loops.
D. Pretzel-knots.

 

 

Pattern

 

• Very tight interlace with more visible background.
• Single-stranded ribbons.
• Double-stranded ribbons.
• Triple-stranded ribbons.
• Background often visible between parallel strands.

 

 

 

Composition

 

• Clear, almost-geometric composition as well as repetition of basic compositional lines.
• A preference for compositions based on 2-fold rotational-symmetrical S-shapes (A, B).
• Triskellion or swastika compositions of 3-fold and 4-fold rotational-symmetrical animal heads (D).
• Main compositional lines follow diagonals (A, B, C).
• Chains of overlapping S-shaped animals (C).

 

 

 

Motifs

 

• Ribbon animals (A, B, C D).
• Animal heads (A, C).
• Four-legged animals (B, C).
• Birds of prey (not shown).