Northern Europe, Viking / Norse culture, ca. 10th century CE. An incredible example of a heavy silver artifact from one of the pivotal moments in Viking history, the conversion from paganism to Christianity. A large cross, its face decorated with a crucified Christ figure made from granulated and braided silver. This is connected to anthropomorphic headed finials at the end of the chain by a carefully bent and looped silver wire. The cross, the terminals, and the chain are each examples of the amazing silverwork done by Viking artisans. The delicate braiding of the chain is incredible, and there are no flaws in the weave. Size of cross: 2.7" W x 2.6" H (6.9 cm x 6.6 cm); length of chain: approximately 25" (63.5 cm); 56.4 grams

A piece such as this would have been made in a specialized workshop centered around a hearth, probably using the lost wax casting technique. 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. These are found in great quantities throughout the British Isles and the Nordic countries. A cross like this one may have been deposited in a hoard or buried in a grave.

Provenance: private New York, USA collection

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#136707

Chain is in beautiful condition as are the terminals. Small loss to face of cross (near the head), to the edges of the back of the cross in three places, and to the edges of the loop on top of the pendant.