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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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Large Viking Period Decorated Bronze Armlet
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Viking Age Gold Elf Shot Pendant with Garnet
9th-12th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £312
With a suspension loop and short length of chain composed of coiled wire links, clasping a polished plano-convex garnet. 0.94 grams, 24 mm
Fine condition.
Acquired 1970-2010. Collection of a late Japanese gentleman.
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.
