CIRCA 10TH-EARLY 11TH CENTURY A.D.

Details

A VIKING SILVER PENDANT
CIRCA 10TH-EARLY 11TH CENTURY A.D.
Cast in the form of Thor's hammer, boat-shaped and pointed at the base, the surface embellished with an interlace design and other filling motifs, the shaft with a ribbed collar and an avian head terminal, its open beak serving as the suspension loop
1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm) long

Provenance

Paul Reiher, Munich, acquired in Denmark or Sweden in the 1920s-1930s.
Gifted to the current owner by the above, his godfather, at his Christening in 1963.

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Lot Essay

This type of hammer pendant was the symbol of the god Thor, the Nordic god of thunder and lightning. Similar examples have been found chiefly in south and central Scandinavia, but some have been found as far away as Iceland, England and Poland. They are usually cast, like the present example, but some are cut from sheet metal and embellished with filigree and granulation. For a description of the type and for another of similar form see p. 190 in A.-S. Gräslund, "Thor's hammer, pendant crosses and other amulets," in E. Roesdahl and D.M. Wilson, eds., From Viking to Crusader, The Scandinavians and Europe 800-1200.

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