Viking Silver Necklace Pendant with Mosaic Beads

A broad sheet-bronze disc horse harness pendant with band of repoussé bosses to the edge, applied cross-bands to the obverse and central boss; applied attachment loop with tremolier detailing. 60 grams, 12.1 cm



From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.

Formed as an openwork outer shell, inner container and bottom plate; the upper face with central conical boss and four small satellite bosses each with a silver surface disc; to the outer face four pierced tongue-shaped panels with D-shaped finials proud of the upper face, each with a silvered element to the upper end; the bottom plate with integral catchplate and central void, four attachment pins to the underside; the upper face and sidewall executed in Urnes style zoomorphic openwork; the inner element a plain sheet-bronze container. 95 grams, 55 mm



Acquired in the 1950s. Ex private collection, South West England.

On the Baltic island of Gotland, high-ranking females wore 'box' (or 'drum') brooches to secure their outer garments at the shoulders. The inner container may have been used to hold small valuables.

Spiral-coiled wrist-clasps of Hines's Class A with one broad rounded loop to the centre and one returned hooked loop. 11.5 grams total, 36-38 mm



Ex property of a gentleman; acquired in the 1970s.

The spiral-coil type of wrist clasp is the earliest form of an artefact type which became a very popular costume element in especially Norway and the English East Midlands in the early Anglo-Saxon Period. Grave-finds indicate that they were used to secure the cuffs of robes worn by high-status women.