Northern Europe, Scandinavia, Viking or Norse culture, ca. 9th to 10th century CE. A rare and beautiful bowl made from 97.5% silver and likely deposited in a Viking hoard. The bowl is a hemispherical shape with thin walls and rests on a flat base. The elegant design of the body is adorned with hammered and chased motifs; sixteen teardrop shapes encircling the base. Across the shoulder is an incised register of intertwined knotted bands alternating with repousse knots that form abstract ram’s heads within circles. The designs create a wonderful textured surface on the interior and exterior. Precious metal items of silver and gold were the ultimate symbol of wealth and status in northern and western Europe at this time. A substantial and quite striking example! Size: 5" Diameter x 2.25" H (12.7 cm x 5.7 cm); quality of silver: 97.5%; total weight: 91.5 grams

A bowl like this was probably deposited in a treasure hoard. One of the most interesting archaeological finds from the Viking period is a hoard of metal objects, often buried in the earth or deposited in bodies of water. Such hoards have been found throughout the British Isles and the Nordic countries. This bowl would have been incredibly valuable to its owners, used as part of the important social ritual of feasting, in religious ceremonies, and, ultimately, to deposit as treasure. A silver bowl such as this one may have been an object of great religious power in the Viking world. In "Olafs saga helga" (The Saga of St. Olaf), written by Snorri Sturluson ca. 1230 CE, there is a scene between two Vikings who have found a sacred grove where an image of the god Jomali guards a hoard of gold and silver treasure, including a silver bowl full of coins. The Vikings steal the bowl and coins without thought, and are cursed by Jomali for their trouble, with one murdering the other.

This piece has been searched against the Art Loss Register database and has been cleared. The Art Loss Register maintains the world’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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#164127

Pin hole perforations and tearing around basin. Indentations and bending of form. Great preservation of repousse and nice patina.