Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 1604
Viking Period Gold 'Elf Shot' Pendant
9TH-11TH CENTURY A.D. OR EARLIER
5/8 in. (0.78 grams, 16 mm).
Gold cup with hoop and suspension loop, with carnelian insert.
Provenance
Ex property of a late Japanese collector, 1970-2000s.
Footnotes
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.
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.
RELATED LOTS
-
Anglo-Scandinavian Viking Bronze Borre Knot Disc Brooch
11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
Disc brooch with low-relief Borre style looped tendrils motif, lug and catch to the reverse. 6.56 grams, 28 mm
Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection. -
Viking Bronze Bird Brooch
10th-12th century A.D.Estimate: £150 - 200 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £83
Modelled in profile with radiating tripartite crest, triangular stub wing, splayed feet, catch and pin-lugs to the reverse. 10.9 grams, 38 mm
From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.
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. -
Viking Lead Gaming Piece
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
Conical lead counter with six vertical ribs. 24.4 grams, 21 mm
Found whilst searching with a metal detector in Yorkshire, UK.
