Colchester and Ipswich Museum Service
Anglo-Saxon Art in the Round

6 March – 5 September 2009

Discover mighty kings and fabulous beasts as you journey back in time at Gallery 3 to explore Anglo-Saxon art and beautiful coins.

This stunning exhibition featured rare items that have never been on display in Gallery 3 before, including a rare collection of gold and silver coins that are over 1,200 years old. The coins featured bold images of people, animals, birds and beasts as well as grand symbols of religion and intriguing runes. Some very famous faces could be seen in the exhibition too, including Offa, king of Mercia, the legendary Charlemagne and the only known English coin that shows the face of Christ.

With elaborate designs, gold and garnets the exhibition also displayed some beautiful examples of medieval jewellery. The famous Boss Hall Brooch, from Sproughton, could be seen for the first time in Gallery 3 as could the Kennard Brooch – both of which are over 1,000 years old.

In their first public display ever, the exhibition also showed items from the Coddenham Bed Burial. This collection showed weapons buried with women and warriors, from an Anglo-Saxon burial ground, that equipped them on their journey into the afterlife. Never seen before – these items were a rare site not to be missed.