Lot 1012
A Viking silver gilt pendant showing intertwined animals, 10th century
Works of Art, Antiquities & Ancient Art | A108kua | Live auction | 1169 Lots
Description
The almost circular, openwork pendant depicting four intertwined „griffins", whose heads can be seen along the edges. At the centre are their twisted torsos, while their limbs are grasping various body parts with their paws. A face shown from the front directly below the eyelet attached at the top. Internal structure of the animal torsos represented by fine notching, the eyelet on the front with hatching between vertical ribs. The front with fire gilding. Height 4 cm. Width 3.5 cm. Stylistically speaking, the pendant has very close parallels to similarly designed pieces from the Gnezdovo treasure trove. An XRF analysis of the elements in the alloy corresponds to the expected composition (93% Ag; 5.8% Cu; 0.13 Au; 0.1 Pb, 0.6% Zn; 0.4 Hg (from fire gilding); traces of gold). The surface gilding showed clear traces of mercury, which is consistent with the ancient technique of fire gilding. CULTURAL ASSETProvenance: South German private collection, inherited from the consignor's father in the late 1990s.
Condition: II + Questions about the lot?
