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LOT 1518
Viking Age Volga Bulgar Bronze Belt Mount
LATE 10TH CENTURY A.D.
1 1/4 in. (8.7 grams, 32 mm).
Of polygonal shape, reserved stylised vegetal forms; attachment rivets to reverse. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.
LiteratureCf. Historical Museum, Moscow, The road of Varangians to Greeks and Greece (In Russian and English), Moscow, 1996, nos.232-237, 422, for similar mounts.
FootnotesPentagonal strap mounts decorated with schematic plant ornaments, cast in bronze, characterised the population of Volga Bulgars, often in commercial relations with the Viking world. A belt-set with pentagonal and rectangular mounts decorated with plant ornaments, along with its strap end and buckle, were excavated by V.D. Sokolov in Slavic-Scandinavian graves in Russian territory.
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
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Viking Age Silver-Gilt Cross Pendant with Head of a Beast
11th-12th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,170
In Romanesque style, cruciform with openwork cross at centre, three oval terminals and a fourth modelled as a hound's head, the beast's mouth forming the suspension loop. 5.4 grams, 40 mm
From the family collection of a Hertfordshire, UK, gentleman since the 1970s. with Bonhams, London, Sale 17880, 7 December 2010, lot 6. Accompanied by a copy of the online Bonhams catalogue page, and the original lot ticket.
The original function of this rare and unusual pendant remains elusive. The use of expensive materials and the fine and detailed casting indicate that it would have been a highly prized object. The fusion of Christian and pagan religious motifs is typical of Iceland where the worship of the old gods continued into the 11th century. The Christian cross was used as a symbol of the new faith but the pendant also includes elements of pre-Christian ideas. Comparable objects appeared in an exhibition of English Romanesque Art 1066-1200, held at the Hayward Gallery, London, 5 April - 8 July 1984. The catalogue for this exhibition illustrates numerous small metal and gilded articles with similar grotesque terminals- No. 254 illustrated a late 12th century finial from a shrine, which is in the Victoria and Albert Museum (M.25 1962). -
Viking Age Bronze Stirrup Apex Mount with Bear's Mask
11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Of Williams's Class B Type 4, comprising a facing bear's head mask with piriform eyes and openwork ears, ribbed forelock, lateral loops above vertical bars connected to the lower rectangular panel with angled ledge below; restored. 30 grams, 40 mm
Found UK. From an old North Country collection; formed between 1970-2000. -
Viking Age Silver Ring with Stamped Design
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Scaphoid plaque with extension coiled about the shank, punched square. pellet and arch motifs forming an undulating design. 4.40 grams, 23.96 mm overall, 20.32 mm internal diameter (approximate size British U 1/2, USA 10 1/4, Europe 23.15, Japan 22)
Private collection formed in Europe in the 1980s. Westminster collection, central London, UK.
