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LOT 1587
Viking Noblewoman's Bronze Headdress Fragments
9TH-12TH CENTURY A.D.
7 1/2 - 9 in. (104 grams total, 19-23 cm).
Two large fragments of headdress with plaited fibre, each composed from tightly-wound wire tubes and vertical flat-section plaques with repoussé pellet detailing on a plaited hemp base. [2, No Reserve]
ProvenanceUK gallery, early 2000s.
LiteratureCf. Sedov, B.B., Finno-Ugri i Balti v Epokhi Srednevekovija, Moscow, 1987, pl.CXVIII, item 2.
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 Age Scandinavian Silver Filigree Pendant
Circa 9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,690
Discoid plate with integral suspension loop secured at the reverse, symmetrical design of applied silver granules and silver wire with granulated boss to the centre and radiating arms; braided wire rim. 7.17 grams, 46 mm
Private collection formed in Europe in the 1980s. Westminster collection, central London, UK. -
Viking Age Bronze 'Great Beast' Horse Figure
Circa 9th-11th century A.D.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
Hollow-formed finial in the shape of a stylised horse with scrolled tail, arcading to the mane, applied strap and pellet harness detailing. 30 grams, 59 mm
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12078-213598. -
Viking Age Scandinavian Silver Filigree Tau Cross Pendant
Circa 10th-12th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,900
With scooped outline to the body, transverse suspension bar; applied filigree and granule detailing, large 'eyes' flanking the median panel with looped interlace detailing; cleaned and polished. 7.5 grams, 39 mm
Private collection formed in Europe in the 1980s. Westminster collection, central London, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12070-212342.
This piece bears many similarities to a hoard found on the island of Hiddensee in the Baltic Sea. The hoard consisted of a classic Borre-style disc brooch, a neck ring of four twisted rods and a necklace of ten stylised cruciform pendants, such as this example. The items constitute a single set of jewellery and seem to be a gift from a Danish nobleman intended for presentation to a Slav woman of high standing. They were buried for safety en route during some local emergency that resulted in the items not being claimed. Evidence for the production of pendants in the Hiddensee style is provided by the remarkable find of forty-one bronze dies, as used for the manufacture of the pressed sheets onto which the filigree wires and granules were soldered. These dies were kept together in a leather bag, which had been dropped in the harbour at Hedeby.
