Forever Bronze – The Life, Death and Resurrection of the Hjälmared Hoard
Sweden’s largest and most spectacular hoard from the Late Bronze Age has now arrived at Vitlycke Museum. The neck rings, ankle rings and chains, believed to have belonged to a high-status woman, each carry a story about the life cycle of bronze objects.
The items, hidden under a stone in the forests of Hjälmared just outside Alingsås, remain something of a mystery. It has not yet been possible to determine what this find actually represents. Are the objects an offering, a hiding place, or something a prominent family spread to show their wealth?
Objects that were born, lived, died and came back to life
The exhibition Forever Bronze – The Life, Death and Resurrection of the Hjälmared Hoard focuses on the story of the noble metal bronze and the objects from the find. How were they made? Were they repaired? What did their life cycle look like? How were they worn by humans, and how could they last for so long? The exhibition also explores the strengths and properties of bronze as a material.
The exhibition features around fifty objects and will be on display for at least two years.
Artist: Sarah Billengren