LARGE VIKING SILVER FILIGREE NECKLACE WITH AMULETS

Ca. 900-1000 AD. Viking. A very large silver filigree necklace with five lunar crescent pendants. Granulated silver forms the symmetrical swirls and loops adorn the pendants bodies, each of which has a loop for suspension on the top. Excellent condition. Pendants and amulets occupied a special place among the Viking jewellery. They were worn mostly as amulets for protection and were customary for everybody: men, women, and even children. In the Middle Ages, the Scandinavians believed that amulets with the image of magic symbols could be worn for protection against evil spirits. To find out more about the Vikings and their art, see Graham-Campbell, J. (2013). Viking Art. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd.Size: L: Set of 9: 26 - 58mm / W:23 - 84mm ; 61g. Provenance: Property of a European collector, previously in a collection of a Dutch gentleman C. K., acquired in 1977 in Rotterdam, Netherlands; formerly acquired by Mr. L. H. in Leiden, Netherlands in 1947; formerly acquired by J. Scholz in Leipzig, Germany in 1922. A copy of the original invoice will accompany this purchase.