Viking Finger Rings For sale
Scandinavian taste in finger rings encompassed both western European and Baltic types. Finger rings were used as a means of displaying wealth and status, and to indicate cultural affiliation. They range from simple coils of metallic wire to elaborate creations with decorated bezels , punched decoration and ornamental knot construction. In these pages you will find a good selection of unusual rings among the more commonly found types. Finger rings are a relatively inexpensive means of collecting Viking period antiquities, and due to their close association with their wearers they form a unique insight into their owner’s personal tastes.
Customers and site-visitors may have noticed that the Anglo-Saxon site pages have been revised. As part of our ongoing programme of improving the quality and reliability of our site, the ‘Viking’ pages are been amended in the light of further detailed research. We aim to roll this out across the rest of the site in due course. Please check back for updates.
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| | Viking 'Faux Twist' Finger Ring 013625 | Viking 'Faux Twist' Finger Ring Copper-alloy, 2.72 grams, 23.94 mm, int.dia. 19.66 mm (British T½, US 9¾). 9th-11th century AD. A slender finger ring featuring a ropework effect section for the bezel imitating the popular twisted wire rings of the Viking age. Reference: cf. the Estonian Kostivere hoard finger rings in Härdh, B. Silver in the Viking Age: A Regional-Economic Study, Stockholm, 1996 fig.30. Very fine condition. Provenance: from an old European collection. | £90.00  |  |
| | Viking 'Expanded Spiral' Sheet Finger Ring 014590 | Viking 'Expanded Spiral' Sheet Finger Ring Silver, 2.19 grams, 14.54 mm. 10th-11th century AD. A delicate finger ring made from twisted silver sheet slightly conical in profile. From its size and delicacy, it was probably made for one of the smaller fingers of a female. Reference: similar to a number of finger rings from the Viking Age site at Luistari, e.g. grave 1065 in Lehtosalo-Hilander, P.-L., Luistari IV – A History of Weapons and Ornaments, Helsinki, 2000, pl.2 item G431-4. Very fine condition. | £125.00  |  |
| | | Viking 'Pelletted' Finger Ring 014584 | Viking 'Pelletted' Finger Ring Copper-alloy, 2.61 grams, 22.79 mm. 9th-10th century AD. A nice example of the standard Baltic sheet-metal finger ring.The central section of the ring forms a wide bezel, while the ends are very narrow and tightly wound round each other to close the sheet into a circular band; this closure allows the ring to be fitted to the size of the finger. The bezel features punched decoration: a median series of single pellets extending from one shank to the other, and to both sides triangular patterns formed from six pellets. Reference: cf. Lehtosalo-Hilander, P-L., Luistari - A History of Weapons and Ornaments: Luistari IV, Helsinki, 2000, p.240 G485. Very fine condition. | £125.00  |  |
| | Baltic Viking 'Herringbone Pattern' Finger Ring 014577 | Baltic Viking 'Spiral Band' Finger Ring Copper-alloy, 4.78 grams, diameter external 21.87 mm, internal 18.13 mm [UK size Q, US size 8, European size 17.15]. Circa 8th-10th century AD. An excellent example of a Continental Germanic or Baltic spiral band finger ring. A single length of copper-alloy sheet is coiled into a five-band ring; the flat, wider central portion creates a substantial middle band with two narrower bands on either side. The bands terminate in smooth, rounded points. Reference: Lehtosalo-Hilander, P-L.,Luistari (Finland), A History of Weapons and Ornaments, Helsinki, 2000, grave 845; pl. 40; for coiled finger rings, see Smith, R.A. British Museum Guide to Anglo-Saxon Antiquities, Trustees of the British Museum, 1923 p.45. Very fine condition. Found in Germany. | £425.00  |  |
| | Scandinavian Viking ‘Tremello Style' Finger Ring 016104 | Scandinavian Viking ‘Tremello Style’ Finger Ring Silver, 4.96 grams, 20.59 mm dia, 18.66 mm height. 10th-11th century. A Viking ribbed finger-ring of Lehtosalo-Hilander's Type III. The central rib is D-sectioned. The decoration on the flanges consists of punched tremello-style (zigzag) vertical linear bands. The shank is a continuation of the central rib and extends to form a thin rod at each end which runs back round the finger to create a three-band effect. Reference: Lehtosalo-Hilander, P-L., Luistari (Finland), A History of Weapons and Ornaments, Helsinki, 2000, p.123-4. Good very fine condition. Provenance: from an old European collection. This antiquity is accompanied by an XRF metal test certificate from Oxford X-ray Fluorescence Ltd. | £650.00  |  |
| | Baltic Viking 'Spiral Band' Finger Ring 005818 | Baltic Viking 'Spiral Band' Finger Ring Copper-alloy, 4.78 grams, diameter external 21.87 mm, internal 18.13 mm [UK size Q, US size 8, European size 17.15]. Circa 8th-10th century AD. An excellent example of a Continental Germanic or Baltic spiral band finger ring. A single length of copper-alloy sheet is coiled into a five-band ring; the flat, wider central portion creates a substantial middle band with two narrower bands on either side. The bands terminate in smooth, rounded points. Reference: Lehtosalo-Hilander, P-L.,Luistari (Finland), A History of Weapons and Ornaments, Helsinki, 2000, grave 845; pl. 40; for coiled finger rings, see Smith, R.A. British Museum Guide to Anglo-Saxon Antiquities, Trustees of the British Museum, 1923 p.45. Very fine condition. Found in Germany. | £145.00  |  |
| | Baltic Viking 'Coiled Snake' Braiding Ring 010550 | Baltic Viking ‘Coiled Snake’ Braiding Ring Copper-alloy, 18.60 grams, 39.06 mm. 10th-12th century AD. A narrow strip of copper-alloy with carinated profile has been wound into a conical snake-like coil. The internal diameter of the coil is about 23mm. Rings of this kind were use among females of the eastern Baltic as dress ornaments and for braiding the hair. Reference: cf. Lehtosalo-Hilander, P-L., Luistari – A History of Weapons and Ornaments Luistari IV, Helsinki, 2000 pl.51, grave 1060. Extremely fine condition. Provenance: from an old European collection. | £185.00  |  |
| | Scandinavian Viking ‘Banded' Finger Ring 016103 | Scandinavian Viking ‘Banded’ Finger Ring Silver, 5.48 grams, 21.18 mm dia, 19.60 mm height. 10th-11th century. A Viking ribbed finger-ring of Lehtosalo-Hilander's Type III. The central rib is D-sectioned. The decoration on the flanges consists of a single punched tremello-style (zigzag) horizontal linear band flanking the rib. The shank is a continuation of the central rib and extends to form a thin rod at each end which runs back round the finger to create a three-band effect. Reference: Lehtosalo-Hilander, P-L., Luistari (Finland), A History of Weapons and Ornaments, Helsinki, 2000, p.123-4. Extremely fine condition. Provenance: from an old European collection. This antiquity is accompanied by an XRF metal test certificate from Oxford X-ray Fluorescence Ltd. | £550.00  |  |
| | Scandinavian Viking 'Ropework' Spiral Ring 018133 | Scandinavian Viking 'Ropework' Spiral Ring Copper-alloy, 9.51 grams, 26.21 mm ext.dia. Circa 9th-10th century AD. A spiral-bound finger ring of Group II:1a. The body of the ring is a flat band with an expanding central section extending to finials formed as D-section ropework rods; a medial ropework rib completes the decoration. This form of ring is typical of the eastern Baltic in the later Viking Age. Reference: Lehtosalo-Hilander, P-L.,Luistari (Finland), A History of Weapons and Ornaments, Helsinki, 2000, grave 845; pl. 40. Extremely fine condition, large and weareable. Provenance: from an old English collection. | £225.00  |  |
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