Lot 64
Northern Europe, Viking/Norse culture, ca. 800 to 1100 CE. An incredible, wearable silver torc (torq, torque), made from twisted strands of silver wire, each of those twisted into individual spirals. The terminals are flattened and then fashioned into hooks, with the flat surfaces stamped repeatedly with circles and triangles, a common Viking practice for decorating metalwork. The twisted strands create a mesmerizing texture for the majority of the piece. The hooks are still functional and this could easily be wearable if you are gentle with the clasp. Size: 6.85" W (17.4 cm); 181.44 grams
Old Icelandic Viking literature brings us a story about the power of torcs like this one. The goddess Freyja owned a torc called Brisingamen, of which the first half of the compound word, brisingr, means "fire"or "amber", and the second half, "men", means "neck ring/torc of precious metal". This gleaming torc is so famous that it is mentioned in "Beowulf", the "Poetic Edda", the "Prose Edda", and the "Flateyjarbok Saga" (and later inspired a story in J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Silmarillion"). In various stories, it is stolen, often by the trickster god Loki, and Freyja's wrath is terrible until the necklace is returned to her. In the "Poetic Edda", Thor borrows Brisingamen to disguise himself as Freyja and attend a wedding in the homeland of the giants, Jotunheimr. The importance of the torc as a signifier of social standing - especially related to one of the most powerful women of the Norse pantheon - emphasizes what a fine item this example is.
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection
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#129289
- Condition: Dark patina on surface, with excellent preservation of motifs. Wearable if gentle with the clasp.
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