Do you see the ornamentation? : A phenomenological study of three unique golden collars from the Migration Period.

The Migration period gold collars from Ålleberg, Färjestaden and Möne are three unique objects with a large amount of ornamentation. Ornamentation is often studied in a close perspective. This study goes from the normally used close perspective and studies the gold collars at a distance in their current museum environment at Statens Historiska Museum, SHM. The aim of the study is to nuance the research on gold collars ornaments by depriving from the perspective of museum. The main issue is how the collars appear at a distance and in motion and what knowledge the observation of the collars can contribute with. In order to answer the questions and fulfil the purpose of the study the theory is phenomenology. This is also included in the method, which is focused observation. The essay also indirectly tests if phenomenology is possible to use in a controlled environment. The Research material is primarily based on the observations of the gold collars in Statens Historiska Museum. It is also based on previous research and literature studies. The conclusion of the essay was that all three gold collars ornamentation appear similar at a distance, although there was a small difference in the ornamentation. Another conclusion is that it is not possible to say anything new about the social function of the collars in their present context, but that it could provide evidence of a theory presented by previous researchers.