Mammen Style

Refers to the style of art that flourished in the second half of the tenth century in Scandinavia and at Scandinavian settlements elsewhere in Europe. The style is named after an inlaid axe head found in Mammen, Denmark. The style is characterized by the use of particular motifs based on west European prototypes, which are altered to suit Scandinavian tastes. The style continues to use the earlier Scandinavian snake motif, and introduces semi-naturalistic animals, including lions and birds, the plant scroll, wavy outlines, and compositions that typically include asymmetrical scrolls and one or two large motifs that fill a panel with abrupt twists and turns.