Northern Europe, Viking/Norse culture, ca. 11th 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 studded with a round boss at center and stamped with triangles down each arm, hangs from a trichinopoly chain, connected to highly abstract, zoomorphic finials at the end of the chain by a series of three looped silver wires. The cross, the terminals, and the chain are each examples of the amazing silverwork done by Viking artisans. The triangular stamps, each containing a granulated dot, are a classic symbol of Viking metalwork, especially silver. The delicate braiding of the chain is incredible. The terminals are made of sheet silver and are in two parts, with the upper part also stamped with triangles, and the lower part resembling a mask-like face with an elongated snout - perhaps a wolf. Size of cross: 2" W x 3" H (5.1 cm x 7.6 cm); length of chain: 29.5" (74.9 cm); 98.7 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, although that practice died out as the conversion to Christianity became more complete and bodies stopped being buried with grave goods.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection

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#131102

Dark patina on surface of chain and on cross. Chain has some small bends to a few of its links. Slight bending to form of cross. Amethyst in photo for support/display purposes only.