Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 1754
Viking Bronze Bird Brooch
10TH-12TH CENTURY A.D.
1 1/2 in. (10.9 grams, 38 mm).
Modelled in profile with radiating tripartite crest, triangular stub wing, splayed feet, catch and pin-lugs to the reverse. [No Reserve]
Provenance
From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.
Literature
Cf. Pedersen, A., ‘ Birds of Prey or Doves. Early Medieval bird-shaped brooches’ in Aarboger for Nordisk Oldkyndighed og Historie 1999 (2001), 2001, pp.19-66, fig.22, for similar brooch; Hammond, B., British Artefacts vol.3 - Late Saxon, Late Viking & Norman, Witham, 2013, item 1.1.3-d.
Footnotes
Bird brooches from the late Viking era have been found in Scandinavia as well in the English Danelaw, through to the early Norman era; such brooches can be dated to the 11th and even early 12th century.
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.
LOT 1754
Viking Bronze Bird Brooch
Estimate £150 - 200€170 - 230 (for guidance only)$200 - 270 (for guidance only)
RELATED LOTS
-
Viking Age Bronze Plaited Neck Torc
Circa 9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Comprising a braided shank developing to flat-section plaque finials. 99 grams, 20.5 cm
UK gallery, early 2000s. -
Viking Age Gold Elfshot Crystal Pendant
9th-11th century A.D. or earlierSold for (Inc. bp): £494
Comprising a D-shaped gold cap with arched recesses to each flat face, integral loop above, inset crystal bead with reserved pellet eyes. 0.59 grams, 14 mm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.
This amulet was believed to offer protection against 'Elfshot'. The attack of elves was believed responsible for mysterious suffering in men and livestock: 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 Bronze Decorated Spoon
10th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £585
With shallow bowl and bulb to the neck, square-section handle with twisted shank, collar and knop finial; reverse of bowl with lattice motif; mounted on a custom-made stand. 15.4 grams, 13.5 cm (39 grams total, 14.7 cm including stand)
Acquired on the London art market, 1995. Private collection, London.
The lattice motif has parallels in the art of the Vars and other cultures of the Hungarian plain. Scandinavian contact with that part of Europe was maintained by trade and settlement along the Volga and other waterways. The city of Kyiv was ruled by Scandinavian Rus for some centuries.
