Loading, please wait...
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.
ProvenanceAcquired on the UK art market in the 1980s.
Ex property of a Cambridgeshire, UK, gentleman.
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.
FootnotesThis 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).
CONDITIONTimeLine 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.
-
Viking Age Silver-Gilt Brooch with Interlaced Birds
Circa 9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £364
Slightly domed profile with boss to the centre, parcel-gilt rim and spandrels, niello-inlaid motif of four bird-heads on curved necks; pin-lugs, hinged pin, catch and loop to the reverse. 23.7 grams, 44 mm
Private collection formed in Europe in the 1980s. Westminster collection, central London, UK. -
Viking Silver Gripping Beast Pendant
Late 10th-early 11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £374
With integral loop; the openwork plaque with banded border and four panels, internal stylised zoomorph with hatched panel to the hip, gripping three-fingered hands to the body and border, two detailed feet, clearly visible facing mask below the loop with pellet eyes. 5.7 grams, 35 mm
From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s. -
Pre Viking Scandinavian Silver Aroma Bucket Pendant with garnets
Circa 4th-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £546
With braided wire handle, applied wire bands to the rim, granulation to the sidewall and base, five cells each set with a cabochon garnet. 3.02 grams, 19 mm
Private collection formed in Europe in the 1980s. Westminster collection, central London, UK.
Pendants in the form of miniature buckets have been found in a number of pagan Anglo-Saxon and Viking contexts and are generally made of bronze or iron, with gold examples being rare; three gold examples were found with the hoard from Hoen, Norway. Bronze bucket amulets have been found at Driffield in Yorkshire, and Vimose bog in Denmark, among other places. In form they represent wooden buckets bound with bronze or iron bands which have been found in Anglo-Saxon and Viking graves and are believed to have held mead or ale and were used to replenish the cups from which warriors drank. As amulets they probably represent the ecstatic power of alcoholic drink and the role of women as the dispensers of these precious beverages.
