Parish Find Location 
Unknown

Find Location 
Unknown

Find Context Classification 
Unknown

Present Location Classification 
Gotlands Museum Magasin Visborg

Coordinate Present Location (lat) 
6390259

Coordinate Present Location (long) 
695514

Material 
Limestone

Height 
37

Width 
24

Thickness 
5,5

Lindqvist Type 
B (ca. 500-700)

Lindqvist Shape 
Dwarf stone

Iconographic Keywords 
ship 
mast 
sail 
man 

Runic Inscription or not 
No

Context and Discovery 
The fragment was found in storage at Gotlands Museum without bearing an inventory number.

Measurements, Material and Condition 
The fragment represents most of the head of a small picture stone with slightly convex upper edge, including its left protruding corner. The limestone slab is 37 wide, 22 high, and 4 thick. The carvings are quite deep and well-preserved, no traces of weathering. The preserved upper edge is damaged, a small piece broken off.

Description of Ornament and Images 
The stone is decorated on both sides. It is framed by a border with a geometrical pattern, namely a more sophisticated and elaborate version of the geometricized twisted cord pattern that is typical for middle-type picture stones. The remaining part of the upper image field preserves about the left half of a simple ship with towering stems that sharply bend inwards, a simple linear mast, and a small square sail. A small triangle or spike rising from the gunwale appears to represent a crewmember.

Interpretation of the Imagery 
No interpretation

Type and Dating 
Middle-type picture stone, which means a Type B ʻdwarf stoneʼ, dating between AD 500 and 700. As far as can be assumed, the small fragment originates from a Type B stone featuring a slightly convex head with corners protruding horizontally. The best parallels to the stone’s elaborate version of the geometricized interlace pattern are GP 273 Norrlanda Bjärs and GP 142 Halla Broa VII. The Norrlanda stone, which belongs to Lindqvist’s Stenstugruppe, features a similar ship depiction in the head section, with similarly inward-angled stems and a square sail. The monuments of the Stenstugruppe are frequently decorated on both sides; Lindqvist considers them to have been placed pairwise on graves. The depiction of stylized crewmembers (see VI) is an unusual feature among the middle-type picture stones, cf. GP 216 Kräklingbo Smiss I.
GP 273 Norrlanda Bjärs
GP 142 Halla Broa VII
GP 216 Kräklingbo Smiss I

References 
Guber 2011, p. 159 cat. no. 100.

 
Fyndplats
Okänd

Nuvarande lokalisering
Gotlands museum, magasinet på Visborgsslätt.

Beskrivning
Fragment av dvärgsten (period B), 22 cm hög och 37 cm bred. Kantdekor och delar av ett skepp med mast och litet segel samt en liten tiangel.

Datering
Dateringen oklar, men tillhör perioden 500-600-talen.

Tolkning
Ingen tolkning.

AA

Title
GP 291 Unknown Find Spot

Gotlands Museum ID 
GFC11045

Jan Peder Lamm ID 
367

ATA

Download here