Lot 1045

Description

A cross with four arms, featuring a circular perforation in the centre; above this, on the front, a rounded rock crystal cabochon set with a rim. The arms of the cross, in the Jelling style, feature an interlacing pattern of stylised, ribbon-like animal bodies; in the upper half, Hugin and Munin, whose heads flank Odin’s head and whisper the observations from their daily foray into his ears; below them, two further animals, whose open mouths bite into a separate, self-contained interlacing pattern. Odin’s head is strikingly stylised in relief, with a moustache and pointed goatee; the lips, cheeks, eyes, eyebrows and hair are clearly defined. The heads of Hugin and Munin feature beaks curled spirally at the front. The upper and lower beaks are clearly separated, the former with a marked nostril. Behind these are the eyes; two ‘neck tufts’ run downwards, tapering towards each other and joining. Below the eyes, the ribbon-like, stylised bodies run diagonally past the central cabochon; in the left and right cross-arms, they are connected to the bodies of the lower animals via a complex interlacing pattern, winding diagonally upwards and downwards in a serpentine fashion, and end abruptly behind the limbs of the lower animals. Their bodies run in horizontal ‘serpentine’ curves. At the ends of the cross-arms are animal feet belonging to the lower animals. In the lower cross-arm, coming diagonally from above, are the bodies of the lower animals, which cross over one another in the upper part and end in heads with open rictus. The muzzles bite into a woven pattern forming an ‘infinity knot’ with four coils arranged in a cross. The animal bodies and the woven pattern are marked on the sides with outline lines and on the inside with a row of closely spaced dots. On the reverse, on the upper cross-arm, there is a jaw-like hinge for holding the pin; on the lower cross-arm, the bent-back pin catch. There are also fine scratches there, some resulting from rough, improper cleaning of the surface, presumably to remove deposits of iron oxides caused by the corrosion of the now lost original iron pin. There are also minimal deposits of iron oxide in places on the front, but these have been cleaned much more decently and properly without damaging the imagery. The front shows some slight wear and other signs of use. The surface of the rock crystal on the front has become rough due to wear and impact marks, whilst the reverse remains completely smooth. Height 6.6 cm. Width 6.4 cm. An exceptionally beautiful example of Viking-era jewellery, featuring intricately crafted figurative designs and ornamentation executed in the Jelling-style. The piece also exemplifies a combination of Christian and pagan symbolism typical of the period. CULTURAL ASSET!

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

Condition: II + Questions about the lot?