Folk brooch (sölja)
The jewel of the countryside: a round silver brooch with cups and pendants that fastened a shawl or shirt.
Söljor were worn with folk costume over much of the Nordic region, to close the neck opening or the shawl. Many were given as wedding presents and inherited for generations.
The forms went back to medieval and Renaissance jewellery but lived on in the countryside well into the 19th century. Söljor have also been copied in great numbers for tourists.
Materials: Silver, often gilt
Manufacture: Made by town goldsmiths or parish goldsmiths; the parts were cast, raised and soldered.
Small cups or knops in a ring.
Pendants that move and jingle.
Marks on the back; provincial silver often has only a maker’s mark.