Medieval primer
The brooch is one of the oldest and most versatile pieces of jewellery in human history – from the Bronze Age through to the High Middle Ages, it held cloaks and robes together whilst also signifying status, faith and craftsmanship. Whether it be a Viking ring brooch, a Frankish clasp brooch or an Anglo-Saxon flat-headed brooch: anyone interested in historical clothing cannot ignore the brooch.
What is a garment brooch? Definition and function
A garment brooch – also known as a clasp, garment pin or Fürspan (Middle High German: vürspan) – is a functional fastening device that was also worn as jewellery. Technically, it works much like a modern safety pin: a pin is threaded through the fabric and then secured in a bar or a holder. Unlike a brooch, which today is mainly worn for decorative purposes, the brooch had a clearly practical function in the Middle Ages – it held cloaks, coats, dresses and shoulder straps together.
At the same time, the fibula was an immediate status symbol: the material, size and ornamentation revealed the wearer’s rank at a glance. A simple bronze fibula marked the everyday life of ordinary people, whilst golden or silver ceremonial fibulae with gemstone inlays were reserved for the upper classes. Furthermore, fibulae were frequently used as amulets – they were believed to possess apotropaic powers, that is, the power to ward off evil spirits.
The term ‘Fürspan’ appears primarily in Middle High German sources from the 12th and 13th centuries and refers specifically to the ceremonial garment fastener of the High Middle Ages. In modern technical terminology, the generic term ‘brooch’ is used for all periods, whilst ‘garment pin’ tends to refer to the simpler, needle-shaped fastener.
What types of brooches are there? An overview
Ring fibula & horseshoe-shaped fibula
Simple, ring-shaped clasp – the pin is inserted through the ring. Widely used as a simple cloak fastener, preserved in bronze, silver and iron.
Disc brooch
Flat, round disc with a pin on the reverse. Often decorated with animal motifs – the Borre style and Jelling style are typical of Viking-era disc brooches from Scandinavia.
Bowl brooch
Hemispherical brooch worn in pairs by Viking women on their tunics. A Viking brooch chain with beads and pendants often hung between two cup-shaped brooches.
Clover-leaf brooch
Three-lobed brooch in the shape of a cloverleaf – very characteristic of Viking-era men’s garments on the cloak. Find sites such as Stora Ryk, Värnamo, Tranby and Kaupang provide the models for today’s replicas.
U-shaped brooch
Consists of a head plate, a bow and a foot plate. Typical of Frankish and Germanic clothing from the Migration Period and the Early Middle Ages. Variants: equal-arm brooch, broad-head brooch.
Box brooch & hump brooch
Three-dimensional, tall brooches with a bowl-shaped body (cup-shaped brooch) or several raised bosses (humped brooch). Find sites at Birka and Gotland provide particularly detailed original examples.
The right brooch for your costume: period and use
The Viking Age offers the greatest variety of brooch types. Women wore pairs of bowl-shaped brooches on their strapless dresses (hanging dresses), connected by a brooch chain. Men used trefoil brooches or simple ring brooches to fasten their cloaks. For an authentic re-enactment, a replica based on a specific original find is recommended – Birka, Gotland or Saltvik serve as useful reference points. Bronze brooches are the most common material, whilst silver-plated versions are used for slightly more elaborate representations.
Frankish attire from the Early Middle Ages is characterised by bow brooches, which were often worn in pairs on the shoulders. The Frankish bow brooch, modelled on the Merovingian style, is distinguished by its characteristic head and foot plates, often featuring geometric or animal motifs. For a Merovingian portrayal, it is the central piece of jewellery in the attire.
Anglo-Saxon brooches, such as the broad-headed brooch from the Isle of Wight, are characterised by distinctive head plates featuring animal ornamentation. They were worn on the shoulder or chest and are now available as detailed replicas based on original archaeological finds. Particularly suitable for depictions of early to high medieval England.
In the High Middle Ages, simpler ring brooches and the Fürspan dominated as representative garment fastenings. The brooch was gradually replaced by buttons and pins, but remained particularly relevant for cloaks and coats. When choosing a size, the following applies: a small cloak fastener (3–5 cm in diameter) for everyday clothing, larger fasteners (from 6 cm) for ceremonial garments. Important: the thickness of the pin should match the type of fabric – thicker woollen fabrics require a thicker pin than fine linen.
Materials and manufacture: bronze, silver, iron
Historical brooches were made from a variety of materials – depending on availability, region and the social status of the wearer. The standard method was casting: using the lost-wax process (cire perdue) or sand casting, the mould was first modelled in wax and then cast in metal. After casting, the piece was finished through cold working and forging. Decorations were applied through engraving, filigree work or niello inlays (a black metal alloy). Typical ornamental styles of the Viking Age include the Borre, Jelling and Urne styles – recognisable by their intertwined animal depictions and interlaced patterns.
| Material | Period / Suitability | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze | Historical LARP | Most common material; trefoil brooches, disc brooches, ring brooches from all periods |
| Silver | Historical | High-end designs; bowl brooches, ceremonial brooches of the upper classes; used as silver plating on bronze |
| Iron | Historical | Simple everyday brooches, ring brooches; hand-forged variants for exhibition combat and re-enactment |
| Gold | Historical | Exclusively for the high nobility; rarely found as replicas – more commonly as gilding on bronze |
| Tin / zinc alloy | LARP | Affordable entry-level options; suitable for costumes and occasional market visits |
Modern replicas are based on original archaeological finds. The manufacturer Pera Peris, who supplies the majority of our range, crafts their brooches based on documented finds – with precise surface finishing and faithful reproduction of original decorative styles.
Viking brooches: shell brooches, trefoil brooches and brooch chains
No other culture of the Middle Ages is as closely associated with the brooch as the Vikings. Particularly striking is the use of the shell brooch in women’s attire: two shell-shaped brooches were fastened symmetrically on the slip dress (the so-called ‘hanging dress’ or ‘hängärgerkjole’), and between them hung a brooch chain adorned with beads, stones, tools and pendants – a distinctive feature of Viking-era women’s clothing.
Men wore the brooch mainly as a fastening for their cloak – usually as a trefoil brooch or a simple ring brooch on the right shoulder, so that the hand holding the sword remained free. The most important sites, which serve as models for modern replicas, are Birka (Sweden), Saltvik (Åland), Gotland, Kaupang (Norway) and Morberg. The Jelling-style shell brooch from Morberg, for example, displays the typical intertwined animal ornamentation of the 10th century in remarkable detail.
For a cohesive Viking outfit, we recommend combining matching brooches with a Viking necklace and complementary Viking jewellery. The Viking brooches in our range cover all the essential types – from the simple Birka brooch to the elaborate hump-back brooch with horse heads.
From the Bronze Age to the High Middle Ages: The history of the brooch
Bronze Age: Spectacle brooch
The oldest documented brooches date from the Early Bronze Age. The so-called spectacle brooch – named after its two spiral-shaped decorative elements, which resemble spectacles – is considered one of the earliest documented types of brooch in Europe.
Celts & Romans
The Celts and Romans further developed their own fibula designs. The Celtic La Tène fibula and the Roman knee fibula are typical examples of this era. Fibulae also served as rank insignia for soldiers and officials.
Migration Period & Franks
Germanic tribes – the Franks, Saxons and Thuringians – developed elaborate bow-shaped brooches with figurative decoration. The Frankish bow-shaped brooch from the Merovingian period is regarded as the pinnacle of early medieval brooch art. Finds from across the entire Frankish settlement area attest to its widespread distribution.
Viking Age: The Golden Age of the Brooch
The Vikings wore brooches particularly prominently and in a wide variety of forms. Grave finds from Birka, Gotland, Kaupang and Tranby document shell, clover, box and disc brooches of high craftsmanship. The Nordic decorative styles – Borre, Jelling and Urnes – continue to shape the image of Viking Age brooches to this day.
High Middle Ages: Replaced by buttons
In the High Middle Ages, the fibula gradually lost its central function as a garment fastener. Buttons, hooks and buckles took over this role in clothing. The ring fibula and the Fürspan remained in use as representative garment fasteners for cloaks and coats until the 14th century.
Brooches for re-enactment, LARP and medieval markets
Whether at the next medieval market, a LARP event or a re-enactment camp – the brooch is an indispensable accessory that completes any historical costume. Prices in the range vary from around €13 for a simple bronze Birka brooch to over €70 for intricately detailed buckled brooches based on original finds. This means there is a suitable fastener to suit every requirement and budget.
For re-enactment, we recommend replicas based on documented find sites – every brooch in the range is labelled with its origin (e.g. Birka, Saltvik, Morberg, Isle of Wight, Tranby). This allows you to create a historically accurate costume that stands up to historical-critical scrutiny. The choice of material is also important: bronze for most portrayals, silver or silver-plated for high-ranking figures.
For LARP and medieval markets without strict authenticity requirements, the more affordable entry-level models also offer a good option – they look convincing and hold the cloak together reliably. A harmonious combination of a brooch, a matching medieval cloak, a medieval chain and a medieval jewellery set makes the outfit a real eye-catcher. Complementary categories such as medieval rings, medieval earrings or Viking bangles help to create a cohesive ensemble.
Whether you’re completing your first Viking outfit, putting together a historically accurate re-enactment costume, or simply looking for a high-quality piece of jewellery for the next medieval market – you’ll find the right brooch for every era and every requirement in our range. Browse through the collection and discover replicas based on original archaeological finds, from simple ring brooches to magnificent cup brooches.
Frequently asked questions
A garment brooch is a historical fastening for clothing that works in a similar way to a safety pin: a pin is inserted through the fabric and secured in a bar or holder. In the Middle Ages, it held cloaks, coats and dresses together whilst also serving as jewellery and a status symbol. The term ‘Fürspan’ refers to the representative garment fastener of the High Middle Ages.
The best-known types of fibulae are ring fibulae, disc fibulae, shell fibulae, trefoil fibulae, bow fibulae, box fibulae, hump fibulae, equal-arm fibulae and broad-headed fibulae. Most brooches were named after their external shape. Different types predominated depending on the era and culture: during the Viking Age, cup-shaped and trefoil brooches were particularly widespread, whilst Frankish bar brooches are typical of the Merovingian period.
Germanic brooches refer to types of brooches worn by Germanic tribes – the Franks, Saxons, Thuringians and Vikings – during the Migration Period and the early Middle Ages. Particularly characteristic are the Frankish stirrup brooches with head and foot plates, as well as Viking-era trefoil and bowl brooches. Many of these brooches were richly decorated with animal ornamentation in the Borre, Jelling or Urnes styles.
For Viking women, paired shell brooches on the tunic are the most authentic type, often connected by a brooch chain. Men usually wore a trefoil brooch or ring brooch on their cloak. As a guide for a historically accurate representation, replicas based on finds from sites such as Birka (Sweden), Gotland, Saltvik (Åland) or Kaupang (Norway) are recommended. Bronze is the most common historical material; silver or silver-plated versions are suitable for more elaborate representations.
In the High Middle Ages, from around the 12th and 13th centuries, the brooch gradually lost its function as the primary fastener for clothing. Buttons, hooks (small hooks) and buckles took over its role. However, the ring brooch and the Fürspan remained in use for cloaks and ceremonial coats until the 14th century.