Northern Europe, Viking/Norse culture, ca. 10th to 12th century CE. A stunning high quality silver necklace featuring a chain comprised ten silver strands elegantly braided to form a thick chain. The sturdy chain terminates at two loops that attach to a larger ring holding an arrow-shaped pendant stamped with geometric patterns of triangles and circles and topped by silver wires twisted into a hoop for suspension. An additional silver wire embellishes the larger ring in a coiling, sinuous form, perhaps representing a snake. Boasting a rich patina, this stunning necklace is wearable and will prove a gorgeous accessory for both formal and everyday attire! Silver quality: hammer: 60% silver, 35% copper, chain: 97% silver; Size of pendant: 0.9" W x 2" H (2.3 cm x 5.1 cm); Size of chain: 31.5" L (80 cm); Weight: necklace & pendant: 90.6 grams, pendant: 23.3 grams

Small 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.

The serpent form may relate to the Norse myth of Jormungandr (Jormungand), the Midgard Serpent, a child of Loki and a giantess who according to legend grew so large that it was able to surround the earth and grasp its own tail, forming an ouroboros. According to legend, when it releases its tail, Ragnarok, the final battle of the gods that will result in Earth becoming completely covered in water, will begin. One of the most popular motifs in Norse art concerns the story of Thor and Jormungandr. In classic Thor style, he sets off on a reckless fishing expedition, taking the head of an ox as his bait, and sails further out to sea than he should. With a large hook and the ox head, he catches Jormungandr, who surfaces, poison and blood dripping from his mouth. Thor's fishing companion, the giant Hymir, quickly cuts Thor's line before he can slay the serpent with his hammer and Jormungandr sinks beneath the waves, the threat at bay - for the moment. Multiple Viking picture stones have been found depicting this story, including one from as early as the late 8th century.

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, acquired in 2014; ex-east Berlin, Germany collection, acquired in 1988; ex-private Riga, Latvia collection, acquired between 1979 and 1988 ; found on the Baltic Sea coast / Kaliningrad, USSR (Koenigsberg, Russia) region prior to 1979

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#162845

Light softening of detail and a few miniscule nicks to pendant. Otherwise, intact and excellent with lovely patina.