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LOT 0323
Viking Silver-Gilt Seated Freyja Mount
CIRCA 9TH-10TH CENTURY A.D.
1 3/4 in. (30.6 grams, 46 mm).
A parcel-gilt plaque pendant with facing seated figure, probably the goddess Freyja, modelled in the half-round; the hands raised to grip lateral ribbed strands of hair, the garment formed as two crossed bands on the chest, the knees prominent and feet placed together; emerging from each strand of hair, a feline with curled tail, ribbed body, foreleg curled over the neck, notched fingers and triangular face with lappet and snubbed snout; loop above the head, three holes to the edges. [No Reserve]
ProvenancePrivate 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 number no.13159-248791.
Cf. female figurines found in Denmark (Hårby, Revninge, Tissø) and figures from St. Manchan's shrine in Ireland in Wilson, D.M. and Klindt-Jensen, O. Viking Art, New York, 1966, plate LXXVIII, item (a).
FootnotesThe figure represents a seated female accompanied by two cats. In the Icelandic poem Gylfaginning (The Deceiving of Gylfi), Freyja is said to be seated in her chariot drawn by two cats. Her hall in heaven is called Sessrumnir, meaning 'with room for many seats'. She is also associated with a high seat from which prophecy is made, similar to that of Odin.
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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Pre-Viking Gold Aroma Bucket Pendant
4th-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
Miniature drum-shaped vessel covered in filigree bobbles with strap handle. 0.72 grams, 15 mm
Private collection formed in Europe in the 1980s. Westminster collection, central London, UK.
Pendants in the form of miniature buckets have been found in a number of pagan Anglo-Saxon and Viking contexts and are generally made of bronze or iron, with gold examples being rare; three gold examples were found with the hoard from Hoen, Norway. Bronze bucket amulets have been found at Driffield in Yorkshire, and Vimose bog in Denmark, among other places. In form they represent wooden buckets bound with bronze or iron bands which have been found in Anglo-Saxon and Viking graves and are believed to have held mead or ale and were used to replenish the cups from which warriors drank. As amulets they probably represent the ecstatic power of alcoholic drink and the role of women as the dispensers of these precious beverages. -
Viking Age Phallic Amber Pendant
Circa 9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
Carved in the round with loop and a gussetted collar below, two bulbs emerging from a carinated band. 3.86 grams, 27 mm
Private collection formed in Europe in the 1980s. Westminster collection, central London, UK. -
Viking Artefact Collection
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Including a strap end, harness mounts and other items. 37.6 grams total, 13-49 mm
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