Hallstatt Bronze Pendant with Stylized Water Birds

Culture: Middle Europe

Period: 800-600 B.C.

Material: Bronze

Dimensions: 26 cm x 15.3 cm

Price: Sold

Ref: 5217

Provenance: From a southern German private collection, last with a German auction house.

Condition: On the right side of the bronze plate minor corrosion traces, otherwise intact and of impressive quality.

Description: Heavy bronze pendant crowned with stylized water birds. The animal heads with punched circular eyes are worked out from a rectangular bronze plate, which is also decorated with hallmarked circles. The outer birds with pierced beaks. A bronze chain made of joined pairs of bronze rings hangs in these beaks and in the 12 holes on the bottom of the bronze plate. The chains of bronze rings are also connected horizontally - once centrally in the upper part, the second time centrally in the lower part. Between the outward facing animal heads a round eyelet decorated with circular eyes for suspension of the entire ensemble. Bronze chains such as the present one can also be found on fibulas and pendants, e.g. in the Welterbemuseum in Hallstatt. The heavy pendant possibly once served as a body jewellery for special cults or for sepulchral purposes. Mounted.