Loading, please wait...
_900x900.jpg "Viking Silver-Gilt Bronze Boar's Head Brooch")
_200x200.jpg "Viking Silver-Gilt Bronze Boar's Head Brooch")
_900x900.jpg "Viking Silver-Gilt Bronze Boar's Head Brooch")
_200x200.jpg "Viking Silver-Gilt Bronze Boar's Head Brooch")
_900x900.jpg "Viking Silver-Gilt Bronze Boar's Head Brooch")
_200x200.jpg "Viking Silver-Gilt Bronze Boar's Head Brooch")
.jpg "Viking Silver-Gilt Bronze Boar's Head Brooch")
.jpg "Viking Silver-Gilt Bronze Boar's Head Brooch")
.jpg "Viking Silver-Gilt Bronze Boar's Head Brooch")
LOT 0391
Viking Silver-Gilt Bronze Boar's Head Brooch
CIRCA 9TH-11TH CENTURY A.D.
2 1/2 in. (141 grams, 66 mm).
Richly decorated and with an applied backplate; the body of the brooch formed as a hollow-cast case with upstanding ears and a slightly 'clubbed' end to the muzzle with a narrow median raised band separating the face into two panels; both those and the upper panel (between the 'ears') decorated with interlaced ornament in low relief depicting serpents locked in combat, their bodies dramatically entwined; on the rear panel four 'lower arm and hand' motifs, radiating from a central lozenge with pellet; rectangular guilloche to the lower borders, muzzle-band, rear panel and median upper band; Jellinge Style scrollwork to the outer and upper faces of the conical 'ears'; a hinged pin to the underside with curved shield, applied plate to the underside with two bands of punched lozenge decoration.
ProvenancePrivate collection, New York, USA.
with Artemis Gallery, Colorado, USA, 15 February 2018, no.58.
Private American collection, New York, USA.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12073-211003.
Cf. MacGregor, A. et al., A Summary Catalogue of the Continental Archaeological Collections, Oxford, 1997, item 3.20; an earlier and much plainer example is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, under reference 1992.59.3.
FootnotesBox-shaped hollow animal-head brooches were created on the island of Gotland, Sweden, although they have been found in other parts of the Viking world. They were made to be worn in pairs high on the chest of women's 'hangerok' apron-dresses with chains and swags of beads suspended between them. They are found in women's burials alongside utility items such as a knife or tweezers, and formed part of the costume of females from prosperous families. This example shows exceptionally fine decoration and would have been a treasured item, denoting the wealth and status of the family of the woman who wore it.
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:
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.
-
Viking Age Gold Cloisonné Animal-Shaped Pendant
Circa 9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Fragment with central area divided into three rectangular cells, D-shaped cell to the end and lateral triangle, irregular scoped cell above; probably from a larger cloisonné decorative item. 0.53 grams, 20 mm
From a late Japanese specialist collector, 1970-2000s. -
Viking Bronze Boar's Head Brooch with Cross
9th-10th century A.D.Estimate: £500 - 600 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £240
With decorative upper surface attached to a plain back-plate with spring-lugs and catchplate intact; the upper face divided by a heavy cast median rib with zoomorphic ornament in the outer panels, arranged symmetrically along the rib with a similar transverse band; the corners of the wider end reinforced with vertical posts ending in heavy lobed ‘ears’; the side panels decorated with zones of interlace ornament and the upper-end panel with a continuation of the median rib, traces of ornamental interlace; the lower-end panel plain; the transverse band pierced by two holes to accept pins (part of one one still in situ) representing 'eyes' on the stylised head; hollow-cast. 62 grams, 56 mm
Acquired in the early 1990s. From an old English collection.
These animal head-brooches were seemingly manufactured solely on Gotland, and have been classified by scholars in various ways: for example, the manner in which the back-plate is formed and applied, or if a plain internal shell was overlaid with an openwork decorative casing. MacGregor classified them according to their decorative criteria, and his scheme is generally followed in Anglophone literature. They began to appear in the Vendel period (earlier 8th century) and continued into the 12th century in a broadly similar form. Our fitting is related to the conventional group of the gripping beast ornament, here very stylised. -
.jpg)
Viking Age Scandinavian Silver Lunar Pendant Necklace
Circa 9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,720
Restrung necklace of silver biconical and melon beads with pendant domed discs and crescents, all with granule detailing. 64 grams, 45 cm long
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.12072-212328.
