Viking Age Bronze Ring with Cabochon

Featuring a wide penannular body with rounded finials, the upper face divided into two fields with rich stamped decoration comprising ring-and-dot and triangular motifs. 43.11 grams, 74.13 mm



From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.

With ovoid loop and integral buckle-plate, coiled wire tongue; loop with segmented frame, and bear-head motif to forward edge; plate with narrow neck developing to a male mask with broad flaring moustache, snub nose and lentoid eyes; fixing lugs to reverse. 35.13 grams, 75.36 mm



From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.

Comprising a silver sleeve with a knapped flint arrowhead, a circular cell set with a clear glass cabochon above. 3.46 grams, 44.84 mm



From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.

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.