Viking Era Bronze Pendant - 65 mm

Hollow cast bronze belt pendant, in the “Permian animal style”. The pendant takes a zoomorphic form – possibly in the shape of bird – and features applied coils at its neck and lower edge. Its head is raised, and its neck features a pronounced comb.

There is a central suspension hole, as well as a braided suspension loop at the back. We also see two loops on the front edge, which are connected to hollow bell shaped pendants by double links.

This pendant seems to fit into the Permian animal style, found throughout Western Russia in the Viking Era. Birds seem to have been of great significance in this culture, with their heads often serving as protective features and their bodies formed into rustling, jangling artifacts like this one. We believe that items like this one were hung from hunting belts and later buried with their owners.