Description:

Northern Europe, Scandinavia, Viking or Norse culture, ca. 9th to 11th century CE. A petite pendant of hammered construction made from a sheet of 88.58% gold. Depicting Mjolnir, the legendary hammer of the Norse thunder god Thor, the pendant features a petite suspension hole near the tip of the handle as well as delicate circular and triangular motifs stamped into the obverse face. The angular, crescent-shaped head and tapered handle are of an attractive minimalist design. Size: 0.75" W x 0.84" H (1.9 cm x 2.1 cm); gold quality: 88.58% (equivalent to 21K+); weight: 4.2 grams

Small Thor's hammers were worn as religious amulets throughout the Viking era, usually made of silver and usually hung on silver chains. 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.

Provenance: private London, UK collection; ex-private collection, acquired on the UK art market; ex-German collection from the 1980s

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#188434

  • Condition: Professionally cleaned in modern times, with light abrasions, otherwise intact and excellent. Great luster throughout.

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August 23, 2024 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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