STUNNING VIKING GOLD MJOLNIR PENDANT

Ca. AD 800 - 1000.
A stunning 20 ct Viking gold Mjolnir pendant. The hammer shape is decorated with punched triangles with three dots inside and a round flat hoop on the top. The hammer of the thunder god Thor was called Mjolnir. According to Norse legends, it gave the god strength and the use of thunderbolts. The Viking warriors were particularly attached to the god Thor because their lives often depended on the storms they encountered on the open sea during their conquering missions, so they prayed to the god to avoid his thunderbolts. They kept this amulet around their necks and clasped it while reciting prayers if a storm raged at sea. For similar see; Christie's Live Auction 2771, Ancient jewellery, Lot 349. This piece has undergone X-ray fluorescence analysis to confirm the metallurgical content suggesting its ancient origin and lack of modern trace elements. This piece comes with an authentication report by Sami Fortune, ancient jewellery specialist.
Size: 30mm x 26mm; Weight: 11g
Provenance: Prince collection, 1990s-2014; Ex. Kai Schmidt Ancient Art, June, 2009. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.