Scandinavian Viking silver finger ring

Code: 11006

This is a large and impressive ancient Scandinavian Viking silver finger ring, dating to the 9th - 10th century A.D. The ring is formed from three square rods of silver twisted together, the terminals hammered and welded (to enable the ring to be adjustable). This example is a good piece of Viking age jewelry, similar examples in gold are recorded GLO-37A922, WAW-0C7587 and silver KENT-4D4DB5.

Rings of twisted type from the British Isles and Scandinavia are dated from the late Saxon/Viking periods into the early Middle Ages, from the late 9th century into the 12th, although more usually their rods are of circular section. But rings of square-section rods (usually two) do also occur in the British Isles and may be of a local form, including a substantial example from Balmer (formerly Bormer), near Falmer, East Sussex, in the British Museum, while a broken example from the Bexhill area was reported as Treasure in 2003 (Treasure Annual Report 2003, no. 111; J. Graham-Campbell, 2011, The Cuerdale Hoard and related Viking-Age silver and gold from Britain and Ireland in the British Museum, London, British Museum Press, 107-109, pl. 82: 26).

The ring is in excellent and excavated condition, intact and eminently wearable!

OBJECT: Finger Ring

CULTURE: Viking

DATE: c. 9th - 10th century A.D.

MATERIAL: Silver

RING SIZE:  12 (US)     Y   (UK)

SIZE: 32mm x 30mm x 7mm

WEIGHT: 13.98 grams

PROVENANCE: Ex. European Private Collection (this is not a British find!)