Medieval, Viking Bronze Amulet pendant - 28 mm

"Medieval, Viking Bronze Amulet Pendant

Culture / Period: Medieval, Viking
Date / Period: 8th–12th century
Material: Bronze
Dimensions: 28 mm
Condition: Good condition.

No shipping outside the European Union. Due to complex export regulations concerning cultural goods, this item cannot be shipped outside the EU. Please ensure you have a delivery address within the European Union before placing a bid.

Provenance information:
Object Registration ID: 813

The current owner purchased the Medieval, Viking Bronze Amulet Pendant from a private collector in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

The previous owner, a private collector (N.N.) from Utrecht, the Netherlands, stated that the object had been in his collection since the 1990s.

According to the previous owner, the object had previously been in a private collection in the Netherlands since the 1990s.

No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object was available from the previous owner.

Background Information:

This bronze pendant dates to the Viking Age or the early medieval period and features an integral suspension loop for wear as a personal amulet. The pendant has a leaf-shaped outline and is decorated with a simple incised spiral motif. Spiral ornaments are among the oldest decorative symbols in Northern Europe and remained part of the artistic vocabulary of the Viking Age, where they were used on jewelry, dress accessories, and other personal objects.

Although the precise meaning of the motif cannot be determined with certainty, spirals are generally regarded as symbols associated with continuity, renewal, and the cyclical nature of life. Such abstract designs were widely employed as decorative and protective motifs rather than as purely ornamental elements.

Bronze amulet pendants of this type formed part of everyday dress and were worn by both men and women. They could serve as personal ornaments while also expressing cultural identity or providing symbolic protection. Comparable examples are known from Viking settlements and trading centres throughout Scandinavia and across regions influenced by Viking trade and migration.

Dating to the 8th–12th century AD, this pendant belongs to a period of extensive maritime trade and cultural exchange across Northern Europe. It reflects the practical craftsmanship and symbolic traditions of the Viking world and forms a tangible connection to the people who wore such personal ornaments in daily life more than a thousand years ago."