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LOT 0296
Viking Age Bronze Tortoise Brooch with Ravens
9TH-10TH CENTURY A.D.
3 1/8 in. (62.6 grams, 80 mm).
With domed elliptical body and narrow flange, high-relief palmette ornament and omega-shaped panels and opposed ravens with curved beaks. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.
LiteratureCf. Nerman, B., Die Vendelzeit Gotlands, Stockholm, 1969, pl.VII:5, item 271; cf. Hildebrand, H., Kongl. Vitterhets Historie Och Antiqvitets Akademiens Manadsblad, Stockholm, 1876, fig.82; Arbman, H., Birka I: Die Graber, Uppsala, 1940, fig.151.
FootnotesThe silvery appearance of the brooch is probably due to a high proportion of tin in the bronze alloy.
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 0296
Viking Age Bronze Tortoise Brooch with Ravens
Estimate £800 - 1,000€930 - 1,160 (for guidance only)$1,080 - 1,350 (for guidance only)
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Viking Age Bronze Coiled Ring
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
Composed of an expanded bezel decorated with shallow engraved zigzags arranged into lozenges, the arms tapering to slender coils. 5.16 grams, 24.30 mm overall, 19.78 mm internal diameter (approximate size British S, USA 9, Europe 20, Japan 19)
From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s. -
Pre-Viking Silver-Gilt Scabbard Mount
Circa 4th-5th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £585
Domed and with a ribbed basal rim, the sidewall with four small circular bosses each framed by a bilinear arch; surmounted by a slightly convex disc bearing an incised cross; transverse bar to the underside; Mortimer's type 4iii. 4.2 grams, 14 mm
Acquired early 1990s. From an East Anglian private collection.
The mount is an extremely early example of the so-called 'sword pyramid' mount which was used in the Vendel period as part of the sword-suspension system. It has a parallel in the find from Sandby Borg, Oland, Sweden where Style I masks also appear. -
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.
