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LOT 0343
Viking Age Silver Gripping Beasts Pendant
10TH CENTURY A.D.
1 3/4 in. (12.4 grams, 43 mm).
Composed of an openwork discoid body with integral T-shaped tubular loop; raised gusseted rim enclosing a pair of S-shaped beasts with billetted bodies and comma-shaped tails, enmeshed gripping paws clutching the rim and their own bodies.
ProvenanceAcquired on the European art market in the 1990s.
Ex property of a German gentleman.
Cf. Graham-Campbell, J., Viking Art, London, 2013, item 98; cf. Korshun, V.E., Yazcheskye Priveski Drevnei Rusi X-XIV Vekov, Volume III, Moscow, 2013, items K.6.00-6.02.
FootnotesDespite the long period of overlap of Borre and Jellinge art styles, there are only few examples of their fusion. The principal and most popular motif of the Borre style displays an animal with gripping paws, usually enmeshed in a circular frame, while a typical Jellinge style beast is more slender with long, S-shaped body and ribbon decoration. The most famous example of a pendant featuring a fusion of these styles was found in a hoard from Vårby (Sweden), formed as a circle with a pair of Jellinge-style beasts with ribbon-shaped bodies in profile and heads with open jaws and extended tongues; however, each is provided with gripping paws and an enmeshed body, which are typical features of the Borre style. A few examples of these pendants were also found near the important trading settlement of Gnezdovo, near Smolensk, Russia.
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LOT 0343
Viking Age Silver Gripping Beasts Pendant
Estimate £1,800 - 2,400€2,090 - 2,780 (for guidance only)$2,430 - 3,240 (for guidance only)
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Pre-Viking Silver-Gilt Mythical Beast Helmet Mount
Circa 5th-6th century A.D.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £700
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. -
Viking Age Bronze Dragon Strap End Collection
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Each with an openwork entwined beast; two rivets to one, a pierced mounting arm to the other. 25.5 grams total, 43-61 mm
From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s. -
Viking Age Bronze Strap End Collection
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
Comprising a variety of strap end types and decorative schemes, including openwork, interlace, beast-head and other zoomorphic motifs, together with a rectangular mount with stylised floral design and remains of red enamelling. 39.2 grams total, 27-41 mm
From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.
