Warrior Treasures: Saxon Gold from the Staffordshire Hoard

Warrior Treasures is a dazzling collection of gold ornaments studded with blood-red garnets that reveal how an Anglo-Saxon sword was more than just a weapon. It signified a warrior’s status, wealth, family and even religious beliefs. The ornaments are part of the Staffordshire Hoard, which is made up of around 4,000 fragments of gold, silver and semiprecious gems that were stripped from swords and seaxes (single-edged knives). It was unearthed in July 2009 and is the largest Anglo-Saxon hoard ever found. The hoard reveals breath-taking workmanship and sophisticated designs which have challenged our preconceptions of art in the late 600’s AD. Through the research on the Hoard it has shed light on the ‘Dark Ages’ and brings to life the Old English poem Beowulf, in which great kings with hoards of gold bestow precious gifts upon loyal heroes. The secrets of the hoard are still being uncovered through painstaking research and on-going conservation. The treasure is owned by Birmingham City Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council and cared for on their behalf by Birmingham Museums Trust and The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery.

Suitable for
Any age

Admission
Tickets: Adult – £5 Concession* – £4 Under 16s – Free. Groups: 1 in 10 go free. Groups are requested to book their visits: museumbookings@bristol.gov.uk Concessions* Concessions are available with proof of identity for students, people over 60, ES40 holders, disabled people (carers free) and Friends of Bristol Museum & Art Gallery.

Website
https://www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/bristol-museum-and-art-gallery

Source: http://www.culture24.org.uk/sw000007?id=EVENT546091