700-1100 AD, Viking Age. A bronze bracelet with squared terminals and alternating incised crosses and horizontal lines. In Viking society, arm rings and bracelets were not just decorative, but also served to mark bonds of loyalty between a lord and his followers in a culture where honour was a matter of life and death. Such items were also given to young men to mark their coming of age and bracelets of precious metals were also used as currency in a time before the widespread availability of coinage. Good condition; superb patina. Size: L:55mm / W:65mm ; 39g; Provenance: Property of a North London professional; previously acquire on the UK/European art market in the 1980s.