Copper-alloy, 6.16 grams, 44.00 mm. 9th-11th century AD. A rare example of a Viking or Anglo-Scandinavian single-sided comb made from a copper-alloy sheet or about 1mm thickness. The teeth are individually cut and very fine (about 0.7mm). The sides feature semicircular cut-outs and there is a circular cut-out from the centre of the handle (partially lost in antiquity). The upper surface is decorated with incised ring-and-dot motifs. Reference: cf. cast openwork copper-alloy comb from Eskelham, Sweden, and another example from Whitby in Late Saxon, Viking and Early Mediaeval Finds from York in Antiquity, vol.97 (1959). Very fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.

Copper-alloy, silvered, 39.95 grams, 235 mm. 10th-12th century AD. A very large sturdy dress pin of tapering lozengiform section. The upper 70 mm is flattened to accept a cruciform decorative mount, riveted to the shaft. The lobed cross is decorated with embossed concentric circles. Such pins were used by wealthy females to secure outer garments at the chest, often with a chain attached. Reference: cf. Griciuviene, E. Ziemgaliai - The Semigallians, Latvian National Museum, 2005, items 225-6. Good very fine condition. Provenance: from an old European collection.

Copper-alloy, 6.85 grams, 23.67 mm. 10th-11th century AD. A delicate buckle loop modelled in the round. The attachment rod for the tongue is very fine (about 1.5 mm) expanding into an elliptical cast loop with five circular recesses in the lower edge. The upper edge comprises a a protruding bird-head feature flanked by curved wings extending back to the rod; behind the bird's head is a small circular couch for the end of the tongue.The loop is of hollowed D-section witha pronounced carination. The raven was a significant animal in Norse culture, with a role in several myths connected with the Óðinn cult; it appears on warriors' equipment from as early as the Vendel culture of the 6th century with cognates in the Baltic region and Anglo-Saxon England (e.g. the Sutton Hoo shield). Reference: cf. the unornamented belt buckle from grave 500 at Luistari, Finland, in Lehtosalo-Hilander, P-L.,Luistari (Finland), A History of Weapons and Ornaments, Helsinki, 2000, pl.9. Good very fine condition. Provenance: found Suffolk, England.

Silver, 10.35 grams, 32.46 mm. 10th-11th century AD. A sturdy belt or strap mount in the form of a central vertical bar with addorsed D-shaped lobes. The design comprises a central raised disc with V-shaped punched detailing, from which radiate vertical D-shaped and horizontal leaf-shaped panels. Foliate patterning extends from the panels across the lobes. The substantial attachment rivets are cast integrally, extending from the ends of the ribbed edges. Mounts of this kind were used to decorated sword-belts and other items of military equipment.Reference: cf. the rectangular belt mounts from Šukioniai grave 69 in cf. Griciuviene, E. Ziemgaliai - The Semigallians, Latvian National Museum, 2005, item 674. Good very fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.

Silver, 2.72 grams, 45.96 mm. 10th-12th century AD. An unusual form of female headdress in the form of a penannular fitting worn at the temples by leading women among the Rus (Baltic and Volga Vikings). The piece is formed as a flat band (0.6 to 0.9 mm thick) with three lobed expansions: two large ones placed equidistantly around the circumference and a smaller one acting as the terminal. The smaller lobe bears three punched pellets, while the larger ones bear four. The inner and outer edges are decorated with lines of square punched decorations, expanding to double-lines on the lobes; a single line of square punchmarks is visible on the reverse. The pointed end is thicker than the band at 1.4 mm. The present example with rhomboid lobes is characteristic of the Novgorodskii Slovenes of the Volga region. Reference: Franklin, S. and Shepard, J. The Emergence of Rus: 750-1200 (Longman History of Russia, vol. 1). London, 1996 and see also Stahlsberg, A. Varangian Women in Old Rus’: Who were they? in Kvinne i Arkeologi i Norge, 21, 1996,.p.83-101 and Thrane, H Steppens Nomader - Skovens Bønder: Ukraines arkhæologi i 2000 år (900 f. Kr - 1240)., Odense, 1994. Very fine condition. Provenance: from an old European collection.

Silver, 11.02 grams, 63.88 mm (pendant) and 143 mm (chain). 10th-13th century AD. An unusual form of pendant used by high-status females in the eastern Baltic as part of their status display. The pendant consists of a broad, flat shank decorated with punched pellet detailing, narrowing at the lower end to a short foot with discoid finial, hollowed on one side to form a scoop. At the upper end, the shank develops into three flattened lobes with the attachment loop above. The chain is formed from silver wire loops in a plain Byzantine linkage. The scoop is very small and would have been used for medicinal or culinary purposes. Reference: cf. Sedov, V.V. Finno-Ugri i Balti v Epokhy Srednevekoviya, Moscow, 1987, p.265 figs.13,14. Extremely fine condition. Provenance: from an old European collection. This item is accompanied by an XRF ancient metal test certificate from Oxford X-ray Fluorescence Ltd.

Copper-alloy, 12.57 grams, 35.20 mm. 10th-13th century AD. A decorative buckle of Baltic type. The broad loop is ornamented with transverse billeted detailing within a frame. The lower edge of the loop meets the tongue-bar and extends to form an integral quadrangular keeper with flared lateral edges. The central outer portion of the loop forms a couch for the scrolled iron tongue. Reference: cf. Sedov, V.V. Finno-Ugri i Balti v Epokhy Srednevekoviya, Moscow, 1987, p.447 fig.16, p.451 fig.46. Extremely fine condition. Provenance: found Lincolnshire, England.

Silver, 4.32 grams, 115.29 mm. 10th-13th century AD. A decorative dress pin of Finnic type. The carinated spherical head is hollow and decorated around its perimeter by a series of triangular perforations forming lozengiform pierced designs, and by series of linear depressions running from the knop. Below the head is a short collar from which emerges the shaft of the pin. On the upper surface of the head, offset to one side, is a delicate loop for the attachment of a cord or chain. Reference: cf. Sedov, V.V. Finno-Ugri i Balti v Epokhy Srednevekoviya, Moscow, 1987, p.256 fig.19. Good very fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection. This item is accompanied by an XRF ancient metal test certificate from Oxford X-ray Fluorescence Ltd.

Iron and silver, 95 grams, 103.01 mm. 10th-11th century AD. The equal-arm cross is widely used in the Orthodox (eastern) church as the prime symbol of the faith. The present example is formed from two very large quadrangular silver billets of about 3mm thickness and about 26mm width set at right-angles. The decorative scheme consists of three longitudinal cable-twisted wires, the central one flanked by plain wires, outside which are panels of carefully coiled and flattened wire giving a filigree effect. The lower billet has a similar design, but the pattern is broken where the upper meets it. At the outer ends were three silver spherical granulations, of which two remain, and on the upper edge are the remains of a twisted wire suspension loop. The reverse is undecorated. Reference: cf. the Viking Age silver pendants with cruciform decoration in the Kostivere hoard from Estonia with several equal-arm cross variants and fine silver workmanship: Hardh, B. Silver in the Viking Age, Acta Archaeologica Lundensia Series in Octavo no.25, Stockholm, 1996. Very fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection.

Silver gilt, 10.22 grams, 12.19 mm. 10th-12th century AD. A beautifully detailed head from a substantial Norman / Anglo-Scandinavian or possibly slightly later pin. The top bears an incised circle enclosing a panel of gold foil. Each of the four sides is similarly decorated, but with an inscribed curvilinear lozenge filled with niello. The flattened upper corners bear roundels. The lower face is rounded to meet the shaft of the pin, lost in antiquity. Reference: reported to the PAS and published in the 2001 Treasure Report (Case 2002 T86): Description: A medieval, cube-shaped finial with slightly rounded facets, four of which are decorated with circles inlaid with gold and carrying a four point design drawn in niello. Within the spandrel formed by the meeting of these circles is placed another, smaller circle in relief. This decoration might indicate the ‘top’ of the finial. The top facet has gold inlay but without any niello, whilst the bottom has no decoration, merely evidence of a break where it has been wrenched from the object to which it was originally attached. Dimensions and metal content: Weight 10.2 g. X-ray fluorescence analysis conducted at the British Museum indicated an approximate silver content of 96 per cent. Very fine condition. Provenance: found North Ormsby, Lincolnshire, England on 24th November 2001 and disclaimed.

Copper-alloy, 125 grams, 90.29 mm (cheek piece) 49.42 mm (strap fitting). 10th-11th century AD. An elegantly designed cheek piece from the bridle of a horse. The assemblage comprises a single openwork casting for the cheek piece and a separate looped fitting for the reins. The looped fitting is a substantial D-section curve extending to two flat plates, pierced to take an attachent rivet. The junction of the loop and plate is decorated with geometric detailing and a facetted section. The cheek piece comprises a pair of addorsed serpentine heads with elaborate lappets which extend in a radiating series from the cest of the head across the void to rejoin the neck where they bifurcate. The lower lappet in each series bears two transverse ribs towards the lower end. Similar ribs mark the point where the necks join the D-shaped lower hoop to which the loop fitting is attached. The decorative plan is reminiscent of the Viking Ringerike Style which is found on some items from the recent Dublin excavations. Reference: cf. the carved wooden finial reproduced in Wallace, P & Ó Floinn, R. (eds.) Treasures of the National Museum of Ireland: Irish Antiquities, Dublin, 2002 plate 6:8. Very fine condition. Provenance: from an old London collection.

Lead and amber, 7.81 grams, 14.60 mm. Circa 9th-11th century AD. A heart-shaped or sub-triangular weight of probable Scandinavian manufacture, it is formed as a lead setting round an amber bead or decorative block. The weight represents about one third of an øre weight and is a variant of the 'embedded-metalwork' form of weight. Reference: Kruse, S. Trade and Exchange Across Frontiers in Graham-Campbell, J. & Williams, G. (eds.) Silver Economy in the Viking Age, Walnut Creek, 2007. Extremely fine condition. Provenance: found North East England.

Silver gilt, 2.75 grams; 16.15 mm. Circa 9th-10th century AD. Fantastic beast's head brooch pin mount, probably from a large penannular brooch similar to the decoration seen on the early eight century ‘Tara Brooch’ from Ireland. The face of the beast is of a deep set stylized design with bold features; deep socket eyes with grooves running round the front of the sockets. In the centre of the piece is a central line with high sides linking the top and bottom sections; around the eyes the line splits and forms the eyebrows that run down the sides, below the eyes the area of the top section drops away then rises and links with the central line forming two nostrils. Ref: Treasures of The National Museum of Ireland; page 198. Excessively rare and in extremely fine condition. Ex old English collection. This item is accompanied by an XRF ancient metal test certificate from Oxford X-ray Fluorescence Ltd.

Copper alloy, 6.14 grams, 22.43 mm. Circa 8th-9th century AD. A beautiful mount ornamented with an interlace pattern forming the neck of two conjoint zoomorphic masks, each with an ear at the junction of the neck, the whole area is covered in chip carved gold. Between the masks is a circular piercing and on the back there is a pierced projection, both would have been used for securing the piece. Ref: purchased Bonhams sale catalogue 27th April 2006, lot 293; also see for similar examples The Work of Angels Masterpieces of Celtic Metalwork, 6th-9th centuries AD edited by Susan Youngs, page 119. A very important piece of early Irish artwork in very fine condition. Ex Bonhams. Found Lincolnshire 2002. This item is accompanied by an XRF ancient metal test certificate from Oxford X-ray Fluorescence Ltd.

Copper-alloy, 12.77 grams, 30.26 mm. 8th-9th century AD. The mount represents one element in a series which were intended to be attached to a belt, strap, harness or bridle. The item is cast hollow with shallow curvature to the outer face, and more pronounced to the inner to save metal and reduce weight. The upper edge has a semi-circular projection which corresponds to a similar-shaped recess on the lower; placed close together in series on a textile or leather backing, the mounts would flex efficiently. The decoration consists of a three-strand concentric roundel on the projection within a three-strand semicircular border; from this there are two lateral three-strand bands which pass over the border, forming loops on the outer edge and returning to pass over the three-strand border of the recess. A transverse carinated ridge is placed between the semicircular borders. Two fixing pins are present on the reverse, and the attachment points for two more are visible. Belt-sets of this type are known from the eastern Baltic region in the earlier Viking Age (for example, the Ziemgalian site at Ziedonskola, Latvia) although the exact form of this piece is not evidenced elsewhere. Reference: Griciuviene, E. Ziemgaliai - The Semigalians, Riga, 2005, p.44. Very fine condition.

Copper-alloy, 4.43 grams, 40.28 mm. Circa 10th-12th century AD. The piece consists of a tongue-shaped plate with a circular-section bar extension looped round to become a flat counter-plate. There are two piercings for attachment rivets, one of which is in place. The obverse decoration consists of an elongated chevron formed from offset opposed triangular punchmarks. The fitting was one of a series worn vertically on the belt with the loop on the lower edge: it formed part of the suspension mechanism for the wearer’s sword, knife and pouch. Reference: belts of this kind are illustrated in plate 111 of Sedov, V.V. Finno-Ygri i Balti v Epokhy Srednevekoviya, Moscow, 1987. Provenance: eastern Baltic, from an old European collection. Very fine condition.

Copper-alloy, 6.58 grams, 39.29 mm. 10th-11th century. The mount features a small boss and collar from which issue three double-contour bands at 12, 4 and 8 o'clock. between these are three double-contour vesica-shaped motifs; below are two further lateral vesica-shapes with a third formed from the outer borders. The overall appearance is of a densely interlaced surface in a style derived from the Borre Style. The mount's edge is strengthened with a plain rim, pierced at the upper edge for suspension; on the reverse are two cast lugs, broken off in antiquity, which were the original form of attachment. The inspiration for the decoration is doubtless the form of complex trefoil brooch worn on Gotland in the 10th-11th century. Reference: Griciuviene, E. Ziemgaliai - The Semigallians, Latvian National Museum, 2005, item 870 and cf. items 871-2. Very fine condition.

Silver, 3.03 grams, 65.40 mm. 9th-11th century AD. A very unusual item made from silver sheet. The lower edge is fluted to accommodate the horn’s mouthpiece. The main panel bears a strip of niello-inlaid billeted decoration which follows the outline of the sheathing; the execution is reminiscent of the panels of a casket with Jellinge-style animals in the British Museum. Within this border there are traces of an incised cursive design. The upper edge has a lobed extension, pierced to accept the attachment rivet. The sheathing is curved and expanded to accommodate the shape of the horn within. Damaged in antiquity but complete. Reference: Backhouse, J., Turner, D.H. & Webster, L. The Golden Age of Anglo-Saxon Art 966-1066, London, 1984, p.34-5 item 15. Fine condition. This item is accompanied by an XRF ancient metal test certificate from Oxford X-ray Fluorescence Ltd.

Silver, 4.22 grams, 17.11 mm. Circa 11th century AD. A beautiful quadrangular mount featuring an arrangement of four lozenges to form a cross with four interstitial vesica-shaped motifs. The mount is pierced at each corner for attachment to a belt, scabbard or horse furniture. The arrangement is paralleled by lozengiform panels on the carpet pages of the Kederminster Gospels of ca. 1020 AD, an English (Anglo-Saxon) work from the reign of King Cnut. Reference: Backhouse, J., Turner, D.H., and Webster, L. The Golden Age of Anglo-Saxon Art 966-1066, London, 1984, p.69-71 items 51 and 53. Very fine condition. Provenance: From an old European collection.

Copper-alloy, 48.74 grams, 48.90 mm. Circa 10th century AD. A large cast bell with faceting on the upper dome, bordered by a double rib below. The mouth of the bell is formed with four plates of heavy ribbing, pierced with four circular holes from which slits extend to meet at the bottom of the piece. The cast lug above is pierced and a wire suspension loop is inserted. The shape of the pendant with its wider upper bowl is characteristic of eastern Baltic items of the Viking Period. Reference: Lehtosalo-Hilander, P-L.,Luistari I, The Graves pl.47 5.2295. Extremely fine condition.

Copper-alloy, 5.95 grams, 42.66 mm. 10th-11th century AD. The later series of Viking and Anglo-Saxon keys were formed as a circular loop, a thick shank and the uniquely-patterned head. The present example includes the loop (damaged in antiquity), the round-section shank and the lower part of the head. Keys of this type are notoriously friable and this is a nicely preserved example. Reference: London Museum Medieval Catalogue 1940, London, 1940 (reprint 1993), plate xxix item 6. Very fine condition.

Copper alloy, 69.30 grams, 146.41 mm. Circa 10th-11th century AD. A very well preserved bucket handle with scrolled ends and punched annulet and triangle and pellet motif decoration. Ref: Luistari I (Finland), The Graves, grave 345; plate 93. A rare piece in very fine condition. Ex old European collection.

Copper alloy, 10.65 grams; 33.78 mm. Circa 11th century AD. An extremely rare openwork mount similar to Class A, Type 11A stirrup mounts of the period; pear-shaped with a detailed beast with long curled tail, roaring or howling left. Complete and undamaged and in extremely fine condition.

Iron, 115 grams; 276.66 mm. Circa 9th-10th century AD. A rare and very well preserved iron snaffle bit; two large rings that would receive the reign guides and cheek pieces are connected by three bars, two looped ended bars connected to the rings with a central S shaped bar between. A very plain and common type during this period but rarely found in this state as the iron does not survive. Ref: Similar to Luistari-A History of Weapons and Ornaments; G 825/7, plate 34. Very fine condition. Ex the family of an old man who was a keeper of a small town museum in Poland before WWII.

Copper-alloy, 21.05 grams; 50.30 mm. Circa 9th - 11th century AD. The item is executed in thin openwork panels in the form of a pair of zoomorphs, probably from the cover of a book or satchel. The incised decoration is reminiscent of the Viking Ringerike style ornament found on commemorative runestones in Sweden and Norway, with rectilinear panels and dependant coiled tendrils. One quadrant was lost in antiquity. Very fine condition. Provenance: Found North Yorkshire.