Lombard (culture or style)

Refers to the period and style associated with the Lombards, a nomadic, Germanic people who were part of the Suebi group, lived in northwestern Germany in the first century CE, and started their southward migration in the fourth century. The term refers particularly to the Lombard conquest of much of the Italian peninsula, lasting from 568 until the 11th century in some areas. The style is first evident in portable objects, primarily personal ornaments and weapons, and later most notably in sculpture. The style is characterized by a flat, decorative effusion of symmetrically placed birds, animals, interlaces, geometric patterns, and lively, primitive figures that show Byzantine influence.