Silver bowl

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This silver bowl was found in a hoard containing 28 silver objects and part of the jaw of a porpoise, buried in a ruined chapel on St Ninian's Isle, at Dunrossness, in Shetland between 750 and 825. The objects probably belonged to a Pictish chief.

This picture shows the bottom and sides of the bowl. The bottom was decorated with punched dots in a whirl pattern. The exterior of the bowl is decorated on the lower half with a single line of punched dots in an interlacing pattern.

The St Ninian's Isle hoard contained eight silver bowls, 12 silver brooches, a sword pommel, two chapes, two eating utensils, three mounts and part of a porpoise's jawbone. They were buried under a church's floor, presumably for safekeeping.

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• Online ID: 000-190-000-976-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  
• Date: Between 750 and 825
  
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• References:
  • Calder, Jenni. The wealth of a nation. Edinburgh: National Museums of Scotland and Glasgow: Richard Drew Publishing, 1989, p 118. 
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