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LOT 1720
Viking Bronze Urnes Style Sword Scabbard Mount
11TH CENTURY A.D.
1 7/8 in. (7.4 grams, 47 mm).
Ellipsoid in plan with elegantly formed Urnes Style interlaced design, hatched surface texture. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.
LiteratureCf. Williams, D., Late Saxon Stirrup-Strap Mounts, York, 1997, item 192, for similar treatment of a panel in Urnes Style knotwork.
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:
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Viking Silver Stamped Shield Pendant
8th-10th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £468
A horse harness pendant executed in repoussé technique, a dome to the centre with punched annulets and other details; applied loop. 6.38 grams, 46 mm
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s. -
Large Pre-Viking Gold Bracteate Medallion with Interlaced Snakes
5th-6th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,720
Executed using the repoussé technique, depicting interlaced snakes or possibly Jörmungandr, the world serpent; applied suspension loop with repoussé chevrons and pellets, faux ropework border around the whole. 13.04 grams, 61 mm
From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11729-200423.
The bracteate belongs to the main type D, showing an image of tetramorphic monsters. Probably here the representation refers to Jörmungandr, the serpent of Midgard, son of Loki and killer of Thor, protagonist of Ragnarok - the downfall of the gods. The art of the bracteate medallions is one of the few contemporary sources for the pre-Christian religion of the Nordic countries. It demonstrates that ancient Germanic mythology, although known from later texts, was built on a tradition dating back to at least the 5th-6th centuries A.D. The function of these medallions was linked to the social position of the wearer in Germanic society. -
'The Bradbourne Horses' Anglo-Scandinavian Viking Bronze Ringerike Stirrup Apex Mount
1000-1100 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £715
Rectangular mount with flange to each side of the reverse at the base, two mounting holes; upper edge formed as two addorsed horse-heads and median pierce lug; shallow incised line following the outer edges of the heads and necks, with suggestion of a bridle; Ringerike style. 47 grams, 53 mm
Found whilst searching with a metal detector in Bradbourne, Derbyshire Dales, East Midlands, UK. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.WMID-793298.
The sub-rectangular shape of this strap mount is similar to that of a Williams Class C, Type 2, although it is unusual in having the flanges on the sides as opposed to the base. The British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) states: 'This is a find of note and has been designated: County / local importance'.
