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LOT 1740
Large Viking Age Bronze Bar with Coiled Wire Neck Torc
9TH-12TH CENTURY A.D.
8 1/2 in. (182 grams, 21.5 cm).
Round-section rod with ribbing, heart-shaped loop to one end and arched catchplate to the other. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired on the European art market since the early 2000s.
From the private Northern Ireland collection of R.M.
See Sedov, B.B., Finno-Ugri i Balti v Epokhi Srednevekovija, Moscow, 1987, for similar items.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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Viking Age Scandinavian Silver Filigree Pendant
Circa 9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £390
Discoid plate with integral suspension loop secured at the reverse, symmetrical design of applied silver filigree and clusters of granules. 3.12 grams, 30 mm
Private collection formed in Europe in the 1980s. Westminster collection, central London, UK. -
Viking Age Bronze Double Bell Pendant Group
Circa 9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
Each comprising a tubular bead with ribbing to the outer face, suspension loops each supporting a bottle-shaped dangle. 25 grams total, 40 mm each
UK gallery, early 2000s. -
Viking Age Gold 'Elf Shot' Pendant
9th-11th century A.D. or earlierSold for (Inc. bp): £208
Decorated sheet gold sleeve, hoof-shaped stone mounted in the socket; loop absent. 0.18 grams, 10 mm
Acquired on the UK art market before 2000. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman.
This amulet was believed to offer protection against 'Elfshot'. The attack of elves was believed responsible for mysterious suffering in men and livestock: sudden shooting pains localised to a particular area of the body, such as in rheumatism, arthritis or muscle stitches or cramps. Elves were thought to shoot darts or arrows where such pains had no obvious external cause. Belief in elfshot persisted into the 20th century in rural areas, and as proof country folk would sometimes find small arrowheads (the remains of Neolithic or Mesolithic flints, or naturally-occurring spear-shaped stones) that were believed to be the magical weapons that caused the afflictions. Belief in elfshot began in the Pagan Germanic period.