MASSIVE VIKING TWISTED NECK TORC
Ca. 900-1100 AD.
A beautiful bronze torc of a round section shank with incised ribbed design. Torcs are found in many European cultures ca. the 8th century BC to the 3rd century AD. However, these elaborate items of jewellery made a reappearance during the Viking period ca. 900-1100 AD perhaps due to their twisting nature which recalls Loki's snake/dragon son Jormungand who lives in the ocean that surrounds Midgard. Torcs such as this one would also have served as important symbols of rank and wealth.
Size: L:55mm / W:170mm ; 390g
Provenance: Property of an Oxfordshire art professional; previously in an old British collection, formed in the 1990s on the UK / International art markets.
Estimate: GBP 250 - 400