Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 1678
Viking Age Gold-in-Glass Bead Group
CIRCA 9TH-11TH CENTURY A.D.
1/2 in. (12 grams total, 11-12 mm).
Barrel-shaped, some with slight flange to rim. [17, No Reserve]
Provenance
UK gallery, early 2000s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Literature
Cf. Hreiðarsdóttir, E., 'Viking age Beads from Iceland' in Ornamenti, 33, no.5, 2010, pp.2-5, figs.p.3, for similar beads.
Footnotes
The majority of the beads of Viking Ages come from burials across the country. The majority of collections are glass beads but common materials include amber and various mineral stones. Gold is very rare, but in Iceland gold foil beads have been found.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
RELATED LOTS
-
Viking Age Gold Pendant with Face
Circa 9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,640
Discoid with repoussé mask within a segmented border, integral loop. 6.03 grams, 40 mm
Private collection formed in Europe in the 1980s. Westminster collection, central London, UK. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Scandinavian Viking 'Hoard' of Hacked Silver Jewellery and Coins
9th-10th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £910
An assembled collection of silver items including: hacked ingot fragments; complete and cut dirhem coins; one end of an ansate brooch with applied figure; braided wire shank; looped end of a drop handle and other items. 158 grams total, 6.5-63 mm
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Scandinavian Viking Silver-Gilt Oseberg Style Gripping Beast Pendant
Late 10th-early 11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,560
Borre-style beast and integral suspension loop with linear detailing; the openwork plaque with pelletted border and scrolled florid niello-filled panels, beast with pelletted band to the body and gripping hands on the border, facing mask below the loop. 21.1 grams, 40 mm
Private collection formed in Europe in the 1980s. Westminster collection, central London, UK. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
There is a class of discoid pendants with banded borders and contorted figures found in the hinterland of the Baltic region, associated with the influence of Scandinavian settlers. The design of these items recalls specific elements of Scandinavian art - for example, the 'gripping hands' motif is a feature of the Oseberg Style named after the famous Norwegian ship-burial. Oseberg Style is associated with the beginnings of the Viking age, and was current in the 9th century when Scandinavian settlers began to establish centres of trade and political control in the area of the rivers Dnieper and Volga. The motif has been interpreted as a horse and linked with various legends and mythic figures.
