Dragon’s Head Ornament (collection of Faculty of History, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań)

A fragment of a comb(?) with relief decoration on both sides, in the shape of a dragon’s head on a long, curved neck. The anatomical traits of the mythical creature – large round eyes, the line of the closed mouth lightly marked with three fangs on the lower jaw, and prominent ears(?) – are treated linearly. On one side, the spine is accented with an interlaced pattern, on the other there is a ropelike ornament and three ridges of different widths marked by incised lines. On the neck there is what appears to be a collar. The artifact was excavated in 1999 in Łekno (Wielkopolska Province) in northwestern Poland. It was found in section 3 (stronghold-abbey) of trench XXXIV, layer VIa (stronghold). Stylistically, it relates to carved images of dragons found on, among others, runestones, bronze axes, and Viking ornaments. It probably found its way to the Łekno stronghold through trade with Scandinavia. Other evidence of Scandinavian trade turned up in station Ł5, where Danish half-bracteates were found among Arab dirhems and Western European coins.

owner: Faculty of History, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
photo by Piotr Namiota/Faculty of History, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań