Antique jewelry glossary

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Ribbon style

See our: ribbon jewelry.

A style of decoration suggestive of swirling ribbons, found on some Anglo-Saxon jewelry of the late period, reflecting the introduction of Christianity into England which gradually influenced the prior pagan style. It is sometimes in the form of narrow lines, but more often is composed of wider broken and swirling lines decorated with stylistic forms of animals and snakes. An example of the latter type is on the 7th-century belt buckle in the Sutton Hoo Treasure. The origin is unknown, but it has been suggested that it is derived from Scandinavia or Italy.

From: An Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry, autor: Harold Newman, publishers: Thames and Hudson