Ca. 800-600 BC. Bronze Age. Europe. A beautiful Celtic bronze pendant formed as an omega-shaped plaque of round-section wire with coiled ends. Good Condition, superb patina. Spiral patterns, although associated now with the Celtic people, have in one form or another, been used in the art of many cultures worldwide. Appearing on rock art in Britain and Ireland as far back as the Neolithic period, spirals appear to have held important meaning with some of the earliest human civilisations. The double spiral of this pendant is thought to signify balance, no doubt owing to the symmetry of the dual spirals. This symbolism is sometimes further extended, suggesting that the double spiral represents the equinox, when day and night are of equal length and an important time in much of early Celtic culture and religion. To find out more about Celtic art, see Harding, D. W. (2007). The Archaeology of Celtic Art. Abington; New York: Routledge. Size: L:25mm / W:56mm ; 6.8g. Provenance: From the collection of a gentleman based in London; formerly with a British gallery; acquired in the 1990s.