Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0398
Viking Age Silver Shield-Maiden Pendant
CIRCA 9TH-10TH CENTURY A.D.
1 1/2 in. (8.08 grams, 40.68 mm).
A female in floor-length robe holding a shield in her right hand and drawn knife in her left, stylised headdress and long plaited band of hair to the rear; pierced lug to the reverse.
Provenance
Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s.
Ex property of a Cambridgeshire, UK, gentleman.
Literature
See Vang Petersen, P., Valkyrier og Bersærker. Mytologien i Smykkekunsten, in Madsen, P.K. (ed.), Danefæ. Skatte fra den Danske Muld, Copenhagen, 2010; Gardeła, L., ‘Warrior-women’ in Viking Age Scandinavia, A preliminary archaeological study in Analecta Archaeologica Ressoviensia, vol.8, Rzeszów, 2013.
Footnotes
This pendant resembles a find from Galgebakke, Denmark, a silver figure holding a short sword and clutching a shield by the boss (Vang Petersen, item 4). The Galgebakke figure is identified as female on the basis of the elaborate crested hairstyle, and an ankle-length dress with tiny feet beneath. The interpretation usually offered for this figure is that of a skjoldmø or 'shield-maiden', a female who takes up arms in pursuit of vengeance such as the legendary Hervor in Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks. Scholars used to interpret these armed females as valkyries - hand maidens of the god Oðinn - but the idea has been challenged recently (Gardeła, 2013).
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 Bronze Snake-Headed Bracelet
Circa 9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
Penannular, round in section with bands of punched points to the shank, snake-head finials. 36.9 grams, 76 mm
Property of the vendor's grandfather, thence by family descent, circa 1985. From the private collection of a New York, USA gentleman. -
Viking Age Gold 'Elf Shot' Pendant
9th-10th century A.D. or earlierSold for (Inc. bp): £1,105
Bell-shaped cup with suspension loop, inset irregular amethyst. 0.73 grams, 15 mm
From a late Japanese specialist collector, 1970-2000s.
This amulet was believed to offer protection against 'Elfshot'. The attack of elves was believed responsible for mysterious suffering in men and livestock. 'Elfshot' described 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. -
Viking Age Silver Axehead Pendant
Circa 8th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
Tapering axehead pendant on a ring with coiled ends, triangular punched detailing. 3.75 grams, 44 mm
Acquired on the London art market in the late 1980s-1990s. From the family collection of an East London, UK, gentleman.
