ca. 900–1100 AD. Viking Age. A solid silver bracelet with a central panel decorated with a flower motif and four dots between the petals; fully wearable condition. In Viking society, arm rings and bracelets were not merely decorative but served also to mark bonds of loyalty between a lord and his followers in a culture where honour was a matter of life and death. Such items were also given to young men to mark their coming of age and bracelets of precious metals were also used as currency in a time before the widespread availability of coinage.Provenance: Private collection of an Oxford professional, formed in the 1970s-1990s on the UK art market.Size: L:42mm / W:60mm ; 21g