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LOT 1530
Viking Age Bronze Contorted Gripping Beast Pendant
LATE 10TH-EARLY 11TH CENTURY A.D.
1 3/8 in. (6.22 grams, 34 mm).
Scandinavian pendant of Norelund type with integral suspension loop; the openwork plaque with three-band border and four panels, internal stylised zoomorph with hatched panel to the hip, gripping hands to the body and border, facing mask below the loop.
ProvenanceAcquired on the German art market before 2000.
From an old Munich collection.
Cf. Korshyn, V.E., Yazicheskiye Priveski Drevniye Rusi X-XIV Vekov, Moscow, 2013, items K.1.02-04.
FootnotesThere is a class of discoid pendants with banded borders and contorted figures found in the hinterland of the Baltic region, associated with the influence of Scandinavian settlers. The design of these items recalls specific elements of Scandinavian art - for example, the 'gripping hands' motif is a feature of the Oseberg Style named after the famous Norwegian ship-burial. Oseberg Style is associated with the beginnings of the Viking age, and was current in the 9th century when Scandinavian settlers began to establish centres of trade and political control in the area of the rivers Dnieper and Volga. The motif has been interpreted as a horse and linked with various legends and mythic figures, including Sigurð's fight with the dragon Fafnir.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 1530
Viking Age Bronze Contorted Gripping Beast Pendant
Sold for (Inc. bp): £390
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Viking Age Bronze Coiled Ring
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
Comprising six round-section tiers, the terminals tapering to a point. 21.09 grams, 25.19 mm overall, 18.36 mm internal diameter (approximate size British P, USA 7 1/2, Europe 16.23, Japan 15)
From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s. -
Viking Age Silver Pendant with Huginn and Muninn
Circa 10th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,430
Composed of an openwork discoid body displaying the two mythical ravens Huginn and Muninn positioned back-to-back, heads turned to face each other, simple detailing to their feathers and raised notched border; suspension loop to apex. 6.01 grams, 30 mm high
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.
In Norse mythology, these two ravens were sent on daily flights around the world by the god Odin. Believed to have been granted the power of speech by Odin, the birds would perch on the god's shoulders to relay news gathered on their travels. -
Viking Age Bronze Borre-Style Tortoise Brooch
9th-10th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £468
Composed of a domed elliptical body with flange, four Borre-style faces with pellet eyes to the centre of a panel of body parts and hatching with two more faces to the narrow ends. 63 grams, 77 mm
From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.
