Northern Europe, Viking / Norse culture, ca. 10th to 12th century CE. A stunning 98% silver necklace featuring a substantial, long chain composed of skillfully composed interconnecting links and a striking Thor's Hammer amulet. The chain terminates in two large loops that connect to a larger looped upper terminal of the Thor's Hammer pendant with wrapped termini. The Thor's Hammer is embellished with an abstract avian motif, with stamped triangular motifs adorning the section above the avian, which in turn narrows to a rope pattern above. An outstanding Viking silver Thor's Hammer necklace. Silver quality: 98%; Weight: 105.1 grams. Size of chain: 32" L (81.3 cm) Size of pendant (including loop): 2.375" L x 1.25" W (6 cm x 3.2 cm)

Thor's hammers were worn as religious amulets throughout the Viking era, usually made of silver and usually hung on silver chains such as this example! Some even made it to the Christian era; there is a famous example of a Thor's hammer amulet from Fossi, Iceland, that has been turned into a cross. 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.

This piece has been searched against the Art Loss Register database and has been cleared. The Art Loss Register maintains the worldÂ’s largest database of stolen art, collectibles, and antiques.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-private Kaliningrad (Koenigsberg) and then Latvia collection; found on the Baltic Sea coast prior to 1982

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#162846

Chain is in superb condition, with slight bending to the large loops connecting to the Thor's Hammer amulet. The Thor's Hammer amulet shows expected age wear with normal indentations and casting flaws, but imagery is still strong and silver has developed a nice patina.