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LOT 1382
Viking Age Bronze Stamped Bracelet with Beast-Head Terminals
12TH-13TH CENTURY A.D.
2 3/4 in. (35.1 grams, 69 mm).
Slightly carinated in section with zones of punched pellets and triangles, opposed beast-head finials; Baltic workmanship. [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.CV (3), for type.
FootnotesIn the Baltic workmanship, bracelets were mostly cast and polished. The metal could also be shaped into the desired form by hammering and/ or by twisting one piece of metal. The surface was often ornamented with stamped markings of lines and dots.
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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LOT 1382
Viking Age Bronze Stamped Bracelet with Beast-Head Terminals
Sold for (Inc. bp): £325
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Viking Bronze Stirrup Mount Group
10th-11th century A.D.Estimate: £200 - 300 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £80
The trio with variations on foliate designs, one with tendrils and a mask; each with a ledge to the lower edge. 93 grams total, 45-47 mm
Acquired early 1990s. From an East Anglian private collection. -
Viking Age Silver Ring with Scrolls
Circa 10th-12th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £468
Lozengiform bezel with stud to each angle, incised hatched design. 2.32 grams, 22.68 mm overall, 19.91 mm internal diameter (approximate size British S 1/2 , USA 9 1/4, Europe 20.63, Japan 19)
Acquired 1970s. From the private collection of a Northern Ireland gentleman. Ex private Merseyside, UK, collection. -
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.
