Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0384
Viking Bronze Bridle Strap Junction with Beast Heads
10TH-11TH CENTURY A.D.
2 1/2 in. (30 grams, 63 mm).
Comprising a rectangular suspension loop with D-section shank and mask below, two flanking arms each with a zoomorphic (bear?) face, one terminating in a wolf's head and the other in a bird's head; small loops below the terminals.
Provenance
Found Bardney, Lincolnshire, UK, in the early 1990s.
Literature
Cf. Leahy, K. and Lewis, M., Finds Identified, London, 2018, p.294, PAS NMS-482554, for similar example.
Footnotes
This bridle junction is decorated in the Anglo-Scandinavian Ringerike style. On each side of the central hole is an outward facing animal, their beaked heads positioned on the outer edges. The details on the face are carried out in moulded relief as well as engraving.
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 0384
Viking Bronze Bridle Strap Junction with Beast Heads
Estimate £600 - 800€700 - 930 (for guidance only)$810 - 1,080 (for guidance only)
RELATED LOTS
-
Viking Age Silver Axe-Shaped Pendant with Ring
Circa 9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Suspension ring with ends wound around the shank, triangular axehead pendant. 2.21 grams, 43 mm
Property of the vendor's grandfather, thence by family descent, circa 1985. From the private collection of a New York, USA gentleman. -
Scandinavian Viking Bronze Box Brooch
9th-10th century A.D.Estimate: £1,200 - 1,700 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £600
Featuring a squat cylindrical body, ornate cruciform motif to upper face, zoomorphic panels to the side wall; hollow-formed; remains of pin lug and catchplate to reverse. 93 grams, 53 mm
From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s. -
Viking Age Silver-Gilt Oseberg Contorted Beast Pendant
Circa 10th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £364
Openwork disc pendant with Oseberg Style disjointed body, facing mask, pierced suspension lug above. 6.29 grams, 39.51 mm
Acquired on the German art market before 2000. From a London W1, UK, collection.
There is a class of discoid pendants with banded borders and contorted figures found in the hinterland of the Baltic region, associated with the influence of Scandinavian settlers. The design of these items recalls specific elements of Scandinavian art - for example, the 'gripping hands' motif is a feature of the Oseberg Style named after the famous Norwegian ship-burial. Oseberg Style is associated with the beginnings of the Viking age, and was current in the 9th century when Scandinavian settlers began to establish centres of trade and political control in the area of the rivers Dnieper and Volga. The motif has been interpreted as a horse and linked with various legends and mythic figures.