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LOT 1421
Viking Age Bronze Birka Falcon Type Sword Scabbard Chape
9TH-10TH CENTURY A.D.
2 3/4 in. (31.4 grams, 71 mm).
Of openwork form, collared knop to tip and collared projections to apex. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.
LiteratureCf. Paulsen, P., Schwertortbänder der Wikingerzeit, Stuttgart, 1953, in relation to the trading centre on the island of Birka, eastern Sweden; see also Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson for the significance of the falcon motif to the society of Birka, particularly with regard to the development of a 'princely family' and its heraldic display, in Rus', Varangians and Birka Warriors (2002).
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 1421
Viking Age Bronze Birka Falcon Type Sword Scabbard Chape
Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
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Viking Age Strap Distributor
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
Composed of a ring and two free-moving foliate style openwork hubs. 24.2 grams, 74 mm
From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s. -
Viking Age Bronze Zoomorphic Bracelet Pair
Circa 9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
Comprising two slender penannular bracelets with stylised snake head terminals executed in different styles. 32.1 grams total, 66-69 mm
Acquired 1970s. From the private collection of a Northern Ireland gentleman. Ex private Merseyside, UK, collection. -
Viking Age Bronze Bracelet with Zig-Zag Design
9th-10th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
With raised ledge to the inner face, panels with interlocking teeth and vertical bars to the outer face. 56.4 grams, 70 mm
From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.
A similar bracelet in bronze, with deep wavy furrows and stamped rows of circles, was found in grave 1081 of the Birka Necropolis. It was a female grave, and the diameter/length of the bracelet (73mm) corresponds to the 70mm of our specimen. These bracelets, as visible in the grave, were usually worn as a pair on both arms.
