Northern Europe, Norse/Viking culture, ca. 8th to 12th century CE. One of the single most rare items of Viking metalsmithing that we have had the pleasure of offering! Solid silver - testing at 98.6% pure silver - belt buckle of nearly rectangular form decorated with scenes of daily Viking life. On the right side, warriors are in combat as a female attends to the dead and wounded. In the center, either the king of the clan or possibly Oden sits in a throne, holding a large spear in his left hand, birds perched on his shoulder, hounds at his feet. On the left side, a hunter takes aim at a boar while above them the village prepares for the feast of another boar. Behind the entire ensemble is a wall of spears and circular shields. The reverse shows two loops where the leather strap would have been inserted. While quite rare, adornments like this have been found with perhaps the most famous being a roundel from the Sutton Hoo ship burial showing the five human senses. 61.4 grams of silver. Size: 3.25" W x 1.75" H (8.3 cm x 4.4 cm)
Metal testing via XRF shows the composition of this buckle is consistent with metals from this time period. A report is available for an additional fee of $200.
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection
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#139865
Condition
Surface worn from 1000 years of burial but intact and generally excellent with all features quite visible.