Lot 80B
Back at auction due to non-paying bidder
Scandinavia, post-Roman, pre-Viking (sometimes Migration Period) Iron Age, ca. 3rd to 5th century CE. A cast silver plaque depicting a standing male and female, each with their right hand over their heart, perhaps in a gesture of blessing, and their left hand reaching to touch the other's genitals. The identity of these figures is debated, but they are from Norse mythology. Comes with custom stand. Size: 1" W x 1.6" H (2.5 cm x 4.1 cm); height on stand: 2.35" (6 cm); (9.2 g)
Researchers believe that the man depicted is the god Frey, one of the central figures of the Norse pantheon. The identity of the female figure is debated - is it the frost giantess Gerðr, who Frey is said to have married, or the the goddess Freyja, Frey's sister, who in Norse mythology is associated with love, sex, fertility, war, and death? The Prose Edda, not recorded until two centuries after active worship of these gods had been replaced by Christianity, is the major source for stories about Frey, Freyja, and Gerðr, and it is unknown if these myths had changed over time. Some other sources suggest that the Vanir, the race of gods in Norse myth, sometimes married or had sex with their siblings. A third hypothesis is that this statue depicts Njord, Frey and Freyja's father, and the Suebi (ancient Germanic) goddess Nerthus.
Although this figure bears some resemblance to erotic Roman figures of the same style, it references Nordic Bronze Age tradition that predates the Romans. The faces on this figure resemble those of the phallic wooden sculpture, Broddenbjerg man, found in a bog near modern day Viborg, Denmark, and radiocarbon dated to ca. 500 BCE, while the long necks and pose of this figure have parallels in Scandinavian rock art. This plaque may have been a form of religious worship, a fertility charm, or intentionally erotic, made to be owned by an individual, probably carried as a votive or good luck charm.
This statue is of a type that was also cast in bronze; see Oldtidens Ansigt, "Det kongelige Nordiske Oldskiftselska og Jysk Arkaeologisk Selskab", 1990, pg. 134 and 138.
Provenance: private New York City, New York, USA collection
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#123100
- Condition: Small areas of gilding remain, with some patina/tarnish on surface. Despite expected age wear, details are still very clear. Lower legs of the two figures are missing.
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| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
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| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $25,000 |