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LOT 0344
Viking Silver Buckle with Moustachioed Face
CIRCA 8TH-9TH CENTURY A.D.
3 in. (35.13 grams, 75.36 mm).
With ovoid loop and integral buckle-plate, coiled wire tongue; loop with segmented frame, and bear-head motif to forward edge; plate with narrow neck developing to a male mask with broad flaring moustache, snub nose and lentoid eyes; fixing lugs to reverse. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.
LiteratureCf. Arbman, H., Birka I: Die Gräber, Uppsala, 1940, plate 86 (7, 8), for type.
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 Bronze Buckle with Wolf's Head
Circa 8th-10th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Comprising a trapezoidal openwork plate and integral buckle loop; the loop domed in section with triangular extension to the forward edge and raised billets, flat-section coiled tongue; the plate formed as a facing lupine head with reserved running zigzag to each flanking foreleg attached to the rear of the loop; Western Baltic type. 26.89, 65.98 mm
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s. -
Viking Age Silver-Gilt Gripping Beast Pendant
Circa 10th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £416
Comprising an integral suspension loop; the openwork plaque with banded border and panels, internal stylised zoomorph with hatched panel to the hip, gripping three-fingered hands to the body and border, two detailed feet, clearly visible facing mask below the loop with pellet eyes. 8.69 grams, 40 mm
Private collection formed in Europe in the 1980s. Westminster collection, central London, UK. -
Viking Silver-Gilt Elfshot Pendant with Stone Arrowhead
9th-11th century A.D. and earlierSold for (Inc. bp): £845
Comprising a silver sleeve with a knapped flint arrowhead, a circular cell set with a clear glass cabochon above. 3.46 grams, 44.84 mm
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.
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.
