Northern Europe, Scandinavia, Viking or Norse culture, ca. 10th century CE. A gorgeous brooch of a penannular form with a pair of triangular lateral panels, an omega-form shank, and a slender pin, all formed from 86% to 89% silver. The front of each triangular panel features thin incisions along the peripheries, a protruding lower tab, and interior stippled motifs that create a wondrous presentation. Smooth layers of patina formed across the accessory imbue the brooch with a dignified appearance. Size: 1.8" W x 2.6" H (4.6 cm x 6.6 cm); quality of silver: 86% to 89%; total weight: 19.5 grams
The important Viking metalworking shops correspond to their great trading ports and proto-urban centers - Birka, Helgo, Sigtuna, and Lund in Sweden, Ribe, Haithabu (Hedeby), and Fyrkat in Denmark, and Kaupang and Trondheim in Norway. Silver was the principal currency of the Viking world, which stretched from Russia to northern Canada at the height of its influence. In many places, the Vikings kept silver not as coins, but as jewelry, a wearable currency form that was not subject to the authority of a monarch or mint. One of the most common archaeological finds from the Viking period is a hoard of metal objects, often buried in the earth or deposited in bodies of water, like river beds.
Provenance: ex-estate of Eldert Bontekoe, Pegasi Numismatics, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, acquired before 2000
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#158896
Condition
Wearable as shown. Very slight bending to overall form of triangular panels, shank, and pin, with minor softening to some incised and stippled motifs, otherwise intact and excellent. Nice preservation of obverse motifs and great patina throughout. Pin still moves along shank without any stickiness.