Lot 52

Description

Three silver pendants stylistically related to the iconic pendants from the Hiddensee find. The front of each is gold-plated. One large and two small pendants with similar decoration. The large pendant has a barrel-shaped, hollow metal eyelet with the face of a bird of prey in the center, depicted with exceptionally precise granulation and filigree wires. S-shaped “eyebrows” above round eyes, with a beak in between and spirals on the sides. The fields are filled with tiny rings. Below this is an interlace whose basic shape was hammered over a model. A bronze model for the production of pendants of this type comes from Haithabu. The surface features intertwined filigree interlace, with the central field filled with granulation beads. The edge of the pendant is bordered by filigree. There is a row of granules on each of the upper side edges. The hollow pendant, worked over a model, is covered with silver sheet metal at the back. Weight 5.35 g. Height 3.8 cm. The smaller pendants have the same basic pattern of interlaced filigree, reduced by the granules at the edge and with a T-shaped pattern below the bird's head instead of a horseshoe shape as on the large pendant. The bird heads on the barrel-shaped pendants are simpler in design, without the plasticity of the beak on the large pendant. Instead of small rings they are edged with rows of smooth wire on the sides. Granulation beads in the spandrels between filigree spirals. Weight 3.18 g and 3.31 g. Height of each 2.7 cm. Extremely fine Viking silversmithing of a high standard. The results of an X-ray fluorescence analysis of the alloy do not contradict ancient manufacture and correspond to the values of authenticated originals.

Provenance: Süddeutsche Privatsammlung, übernommen in den späten 90er Jahren aus der Sammlung des Vaters.

Condition: I - II Questions about the lot?