Northern Europe, Viking or Norse culture, ca. 8th to 11th century CE. A stunning fibula comprised of two high-grade silver (92% silver) wire strands, each comprised of a thin pre-twisted cord surrounded by two thick cords. The strands are twisted around each other to form the body of the bracelet, and the termini are hammered and flattened to fuse the individual components. Unusually, the hammered wire is raised into a symmetrical abstract motif that forms a clasp. The pin is made from another silver wire that is flattened at one end to wrap around the body of the brooch. The surface is stamped with repeated triangular and circular motifs. Size: 2.25" W x 0.9" H (5.7 cm x 2.3 cm); silver quality - 92%; 32.8 grams

The important Viking metalworking shops correspond to their great trading ports and proto-urban centers - Birka, Helgo, Sigtuna, and Lund in Sweden, Ribe, Haithabu (Hedeby), and Fyrkat in Denmark, and Kaupang and Trondheim in Norway. Silver was the principal currency of the Viking world, which stretched from Russia to northern Canada at the height of their influence. In many places, the Vikings kept silver not as coins, but as jewelry, a wearable currency form that was not subject to the authority of a monarch or mint. One of the most common archaeological finds from the Viking period is a hoard of metal objects, often buried in the earth or deposited in bodies of water, like river beds.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection

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#144566

Slight bending to pin and clasp. Otherwise in very nice condition with nice patina.