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LOT 1351
Viking Age Bronze Knife Handle
10TH-11TH CENTURY A.D.
4 in. (58 grams, 10.3 cm).
With tubular bronze handle and low-relief interlaced geometric designs. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.
LiteratureCf. Sedov, B.B., Finno-Ugri i Balti v Epokhi Srednevekovija, Moscow, 1987, pl.XII, item 11.
FootnotesOrnamented bronze knife handles became an integral part of medieval culture also in Finno-Ugric lands. The blades of the knives were in iron, with bronze handles, and had an oval cross-section slightly expanding upwards. In a certain number of female burials, knives were found in sheaths with a bronze lamellar lining, decorated with complex floral ornamentation.
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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Pre-Viking Silver-Gilt Mythical Beast Helmet Mount
Circa 5th-6th century A.D.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £800
In the form of an equine creature modelled in the round with long beak and arched neck; panels of gilded Style I ornament to each lateral face, stepped band with punched detailing extending from the ears to the chest; rounded rump with pointillé detailing; hollow mounting socket to the underside. 13.6 grams, 42 mm
Acquired early 1990s. From an East Anglian private collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11895-204402.
The socket on the underside suggests that the mount was placed prominently, perhaps on the crest of a helmet. Zoomorphic helmet mounts are known e.g. the boars on the Benty Grange and Wollaston examples, though these are not so detailed as the present example. The item is too small to be seen from afar but is ornate enough to attract attention at close quarters. Stylistically, the piece might have been made in southern Scandinavia or in an Anglian area of England in the later 5th or 6th century A.D. -
Viking Age Bronze Faux Plaited Ring
Circa 9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
The slender hoop slightly expanded at the bezel, displaying a faux plaited design. 1.63 grams, 22.56 mm overall, 19.87 mm internal diameter (approximate size British O, USA 7, Europe 14.98, Japan 14)
Private collection formed since the 1940s. UK art market. Property of an Essex gentleman. -
Viking Age Bronze Bracelet with Decoration
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
Zones of dense pellet and coil ornament within ropework borders; plain terminals. 88 grams, 70 mm wide
From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.
