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THBViking Silver Religious Cross & Chain - 56.4 gr.
Lot 73b
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$3,500 - $5,500
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About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Jul 5, 2018
Set Reminder
2018-07-05 10:00:00
2018-07-05 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Ancient | Ethnographic | Fine Art
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/ancient-ethnographic-fine-art-3306
Featuring classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Featuring classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (348)
- Lot Description
Northern Europe, Viking / Norse culture, ca. 10th century CE. An incredible example of a heavy silver artifact from one of the pivotal moments in Viking history, the conversion from paganism to Christianity. A large cross, its face decorated with a crucified Christ figure made from granulated and braided silver. This is connected to anthropomorphic headed finials at the end of the chain by a carefully bent and looped silver wire. The cross, the terminals, and the chain are each examples of the amazing silverwork done by Viking artisans. The delicate braiding of the chain is incredible, and there are no flaws in the weave. Size of cross: 2.7" W x 2.6" H (6.9 cm x 6.6 cm); length of chain: approximately 25" (63.5 cm); 56.4 grams
A piece such as this would have been made in a specialized workshop centered around a hearth, probably using the lost wax casting technique. 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 their 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. These are found in great quantities throughout the British Isles and the Nordic countries. A cross like this one may have been deposited in a hoard or buried in a grave.
Provenance: private New York, USA collection
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.
#136707Chain is in beautiful condition as are the terminals. Small loss to face of cross (near the head), to the edges of the back of the cross in three places, and to the edges of the loop on top of the pendant.Condition
- Shipping Info
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