Viking Age Finno-Ugric Bronze Odin Mount with Beasts, 9th-11th Century

Description

Heading : Viking Age. Finno-Ugric Region. Bronze Odin Mount with Beasts. 9th-11th Century

Material: Bronze

Period: Viking/Early medieval

Date: 9th to 11th century

Origin: Northern Europe to Finno-Ugric regions

Condition: Fine+. with dark patina   

Description: A discoid bronze mount with openwork. stylised. triangular faced. Odin-like figure; two serpentine beasts or birds (? ravens) surrounding head 

Size and Weight: 35mm. 8.4g

Features and Provenance: From a UK family collection

This superb mount of a stylised Odin’s head. is considered to have originated from the Finno-Ugric language region. As great travellers. the Vikings collected items of value and smaller trinkets for trade. It is known that decorative mounts were recycled as jewellery when the original purpose was over; being traded as an amulet or symbol of achievement. Viking wanderlust made them great traders; they are often maligned as nothing more than Scandinavian thugs. but nothing could be further from the truth. The range of their trade-goods was extensive. Norsemen never referred to themselves as Vikings as it was an old Norse word meaning ‘adventure and trade’. It did however. enter English lexicons in the 18th century. but even then it was only meant to refer to ‘a Scandinavian.’

Condition Summary. This varies with the age of the artefact and there are grades between

Extremely Fine (EF). Very slight traces of wear. all parts of pattern etc present. visible and clear

Very Fine (VF). Some signs of wear on the higher parts of the relief. all parts of pattern etc present. but may be worn

Fine (F). Wear on the artefact and parts of item and pattern etc may be missing or not visible