These Round Box Brooches were worn by Viking women to secure their shawls at their collarbone. They were use to hold small objects. They were ornately carved and often showed intertwined patterns and depictions of animals. Museum Monday is an every other week series about museum news, objects, and reviews.
This amazing Viking treasure was revealed in 1873 after flooding on the German island of Hiddensee on the Baltic Sea. It is believed to have been created in the late Viking Age (10th century) possibly for the Danish King Harald Bluetooth. It was all pure gold and weighs about 600 grams. The center piece in the above photo is a fibula (brooch) and contains imagery of both Viking and Christian symbols. Scandinavian metalsmiths were renowned for their skill, and the detail of twisting gold represents snakes or dragons. Imagery on the pendants combined an eagle or owl head almost forming a Thor-like hammer
The Banco Central de Costa Rica has multiple museums in its subterranean location underneath the Plaza de la Cultura in San Jose, Costa Rica. On the ground level is the pair "museums" of Museo Numismático and Casa de Moneda (while deeper down is the Museo del Oro Precolombino). These top two museums features the historical use of currency in Costa Rica and its oldest pieces are from 1516. You'll see coins, banknotes, and tokens from private companies as well as proofs, dies, and a printing press. Here are a few from the collection: This interesting set with the die used to make them
I didn't make it to the official Gold museum in San Jose but the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica had a small section on gold. Museum Monday is an every other week series about museum news, objects, and reviews.