Viking Age Silver Broad Axe Pendant with Radiant Sun

The openwork body formed as sinuous zoomorphic interlace in the Urnes style. 10.9 grams, 33 mm



Found Pulham Market, Norfolk, UK. From an old private collection of Norfolk, UK, gentleman, formed since 1998. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.NMS-0139C1.

A spectacular Sogdian sheet-silver bucket with drum-shaped body, narrow discoid repoussé base, bands of repoussé foliage to the body beneath a raised collar and fluted neck and rim; handle held by two securing hoops formed as miniature rams. 1.2 kg, 26.5 cm wide



From an old private collection. with Oxus Fine Arts Pte. Ltd, Singapore. Acquired by the current owner in London, 2012. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12288-220840.

Dr. Grigoriev, in his studies on Sogdian silver artworks, has traced specific Sogdian features of metalwork prototypes on the basis of the ceramic replicas. Some of these features were distinguished on gold and silver vessels which possess many other characteristics bringing them together. In our bucket, the style and the decoration of the flowers resemble those of the bucket with deer from Shirokovskoe (Perm, see Marshak, 1971, T,35), while the bands of repoussé foliage to the body beneath the raised collar and fluted neck and rim recall the decoration of the dish with deer from Rep’evka, in Samara Province (Darkevich, 1976, n.12).

With low-relief Borre style looped tendrils motif, lug and catch to the reverse. 10.4 grams, 29 mm



Found near Holt, Norfolk, UK. From an old private collection of Norfolk, UK, gentleman, formed since 1998.