Ancient Northern Europe, Scandinavia, Viking or Norse culture, ca. 8th to 9th century CE. A gorgeous example of a forged-silver pendant in the form of Mjolnir, the legendary hammer of the Norse god of thunder Thor. The petite hammer is formed from 98% silver and features a perforated pommel, a slender handle, and a trapezoidal head bearing several stamped triangles and a pair of partial zoomorphic heads, perhaps wolves. Placed through the handle perforation is a twisted silver wire ring, and suspending the entire pendant is a lengthy chain made from circular links of 97% silver. An eccentric and wearable example of fine Viking artistry! Size (hammer): 0.8" W x 1.4" H (2 cm x 3.6 cm); (chain) 31.25" L (79.4 cm); quality of silver: 98% (hammer) and 97% (chain); total weight: 152.3 grams

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 riverbeds. These are found in great quantities throughout the British Isles and the Nordic countries.

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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#164132

Minor nicks to verso of hammer pendant, with light encrustations within some chain links and recessed hammer details, and small areas of oxidation, otherwise intact and excellent. Fantastic patina throughout. Wearable as shown.