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LOT 1665
Viking Age Gold 'Elf Shot' Pendant
9TH-11TH CENTURY A.D. OR EARLIER
1 in. (0.83 grams, 23 mm).
Sheet gold sleeve and wire dangle, crystal lobed bead mounted in the socket.
ProvenanceEx property of a late Japanese collector, 1970-2000s.
FootnotesThis 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.
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Anglo-Scandinavian Viking Bronze Bound Loki Suspension Mount
10th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £520
Belt mount with loop above and strap to reverse; openwork frame with rosettes and central facing mask. 3..25 grams, 32 mm
Acquired in Germany after WWII. Ex property of a lady living in Kent, UK; formerly part of her grandfather's collection. From an old private collection of Norfolk, UK, gentleman, formed since 1998.
The image is often interpreted as the trickster-god Loki bound to a rock, as he was said to be in Norse myth (e.g. the poem Völuspá, verse 35). -
Viking Age Bronze Twisted Bracelet
Circa 9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
Penannular bracelet comprising thick twisted rods, flattened pear-shaped loop finials. 48.4 grams, 62 mm
Private collection, Arundel, West Sussex, UK, 1975-late 1990s. -
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Anglo-Scandinavian Viking Bronze Key with Openwork Handle
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,860
With large discoid bow, barrel shank and hooked bit, trefoil slot to the rear edge; the large circular bow with openwork tree motif, pointillé detailing. 39 grams total, 58 mm
From the collection of the famous author, writer and speaker, Gordon Bailey, Essex, UK; formed since 1968.
In the Viking Age, keys were a symbol of power worn prominently attached to the belt or chatelaine of the lady of the household. Handing over the set of keys may have formed part of the marriage ceremony, when the bride accepted her new role as the leading female of the community. In Anglo-Saxon England, the contents of the locked areas (cupboards and chests) were the specific responsibility of the lady, the key-holder.
