Lot 53
Northern Europe, Viking, ca. 9th to 11th century CE. A very rare ritual bowl cast from high quality silver (98.99% to 97.87%), most likely once deposited in a Viking hoard. The vessel presents an elegant form with a petaloid pattern comprised of teardrop shaped bosses delineated in repousse around the lower section. Above this is a striking register of running diamond-shaped motifs, each one further embellished with a central circular motif. Stippled upright and inverted triangles occupy the negative spaces created by the running diamonds. Finally, a band of impressed rectangular motifs encircles the bowl just below the rim. Silver quality: 98.99% to 97.87%. Size: 4.25" Diameter x 1.5" H (10.8 cm x 3.8 cm); Weight: 59.2 grams
Many Vikings did not have a standard minted currency available to them; instead they kept their wealth in the form of jewelry and vessels made from precious metals like this example. Scholars believe that a common practice was to amass a hoard of these objects and then deposit them, often in water sources like rivers.
Lucite stand for photographic purposes only.
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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#161888
- Condition: Slight bending of form and indentations. Otherwise intact with a warm patina.
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