Medieval, Viking Age Bronze Spiral Temple Pendant with Coiled Ornament and Ribbed Shaft - 80 mm

"Viking Age Bronze Spiral Temple Pendant with Coiled Ornament and Ribbed Shaft

Culture / Period: Medieval, Viking Age
Date / Period: 8th – 12th Century A.D.
Material: Bronze
Dimensions: 80 mm
Condition: Good condition, with green patina and surface wear consistent with age

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: 77

The current owner purchased the Spiral-shaped Temple Pendant from Jeff in Amsterdam.
The previous owner, Jeff from Amsterdam (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 1970s.
No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object is available.

Background Information:
This bronze ornament is a spiral-shaped temple pendant, dating to the Viking Age and early medieval period. The object consists of a coiled spiral element attached to an elongated decorated shaft ending in a pointed terminal. Its form indicates that it was intended to be worn as part of personal adornment, likely near the temple or side of the head, attached to a headdress, hair arrangement, or suspension system.

Temple ornaments of this type are known from early medieval dress traditions in Northern and Eastern Europe, including areas influenced by Viking, Baltic, and Slavic material culture. They were especially associated with female costume and could form part of a visually distinctive set of jewellery worn during life and sometimes placed in burials.

The spiral form was a widely used decorative motif in early medieval metalwork. While its exact meaning could vary by region and context, it was clearly valued as a strong visual element in personal ornament. Such pieces communicated identity, status, and belonging through dress, especially in societies where jewellery played an important role in displaying social and cultural affiliation.

The object was made in bronze, a durable and widely used alloy in Viking Age and medieval jewellery production. The ribbed shaft and carefully formed spiral show an organised craft tradition, with metalworkers producing ornaments that were both decorative and functional. The green patina and surface wear are consistent with long burial or age-related oxidation.

Objects of this kind circulated through regional exchange networks and cultural contacts across the early medieval world. The Viking Age was marked by movement, trade, and interaction across Scandinavia, the Baltic, Eastern Europe, and beyond. Jewellery forms and decorative motifs travelled with people, goods, and traditions, resulting in related ornament types appearing across broad geographic areas.

This piece provides a direct and physical link to early medieval personal dress and identity. It forms a tangible connection to the Viking Age world, in which objects of this kind were part of daily appearance, social expression, and cultural tradition."