Silver hanging bowl

Add to album

This silver hanging bowl with gilt mounts 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. The objects probably belonged to a Pictish chief.

The outside of the bowl has three oblong ribs in the form of spread-eagle boars. These form hooks at the rim to carry rings for suspension.

Hanging bowls were first made in Roman Britain, and were popular in Ireland, Scotland and the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms into the eighth century. They are usually of bronze, rather than silver, with elaborate mounts on the outside rim and bottom.

Record details

To search on related items, click any underlined text below.

• Online ID: 000-190-001-160-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  X.FC 275
• Date: 8th century
  Buried between 750 and 825
  
• Material: Silver, deeply countersunk base, patterned silver disc underneath; circular cast gilt escutcheon of processional animals inside; three oblong boar-shaped gilt escutcheons outside, heads overlapping rim, holding three loose rings; no inset on centre boss
  Bowl, hanging
  
• Dimensions: 5.50" D x 1.75" deep
  
• What: Bowl, hanging
  
• Subject:
• Who:
• Where: Scotland, Shetland, St Ninian's Isle
  
• Event:
• Description: Hanging bowl of silver with three oblong gilt escutcheons in the form of spreadeagled boars, from St Ninian's Isle, Pictish, 8th century
  
• References:
  • Small, A., Thomas, C., & Wilson, D. M. St. Ninian's Isle and its Treasure. London: Oxford University Press,1973 
• Translations:
• Related Records: