The Vendel Renaissance
(Scandinavia, 4th to 8th c. A.D.)

Metalwork

[Vendel silver fibulae from Swedish graves] 1. Vendel silver fibulae from Swedish graves, based on Late Roman models. Inlaid with impressed gold sheet and embellished with applied rosettes
[Vendel silver gilt fibula, Oland Island] 2. Vendel silver gilt fibula from Öland Island, ca. 400-450 A.D. (Stockholm: Statens Sjöhist. Mus.).
[Vendel sword hilt from Grave V, Snartemo Hagebostad] 3. Vendel sword hilt from Grave V, Snartemo Hägebostad, Vest Agder, Norway. Hilt is repoussé Early 6th c. A.D. The gold plate grips and silver gilt mount at the mouth of the scabbard are in Style I.
[Gilt bronze strap end. Vendel Style II, Uppland, Sweden] 4. Gilt bronze strap end. Vendel Style II. From a 7th-century grave in Uppland, Sweden. The design is a fantastic animal mask.
[Vendel zoomorphic interlaced metalwork] 5. Vendel zoomorphic interlaced metalwork. Booty from middle Sweden. Upper and right objects are from 7th century, and middle and lower objects are from the 8th c.

Stone relief

[Rune stone with horseman from Mojbro, Uppland, Sweden] 1. Rune stone with horseman from Möjbro, Uppland, Sweden. 4th century. The Roman impact on traditional symbolic stone inscriptions, as seen here in the addition of the naturalistic horseman, was ephemeral, but the italic script used for the runic symbols evolved into a written language that lasted many centuries (Stockholm: Statens Sjöhist. Mus.)
[Rune stone] 2. Vendel runestone with interlace and cross within a runic border, 5-6th c. A.D. (Stockholm: Skanlen).