History
Bronze castings were a predominant form of Finno-Ugrian toreutics.
From Prehistoric times, the Finno-Ugric tribes inhabited a broad stretch across Northern Europe from Scandinavia to Kudrinsky in Siberia. They began as highly nomadic hunter gatherers and evolved to be the monarchs and governors of the Northern European Kingdoms and countries. The bronze castings in this collection were a predominant form of Finno- Ugrian toreutics “artistic metalworking such as hammering, engraving and casting”. This period lasted from the 3rd to the 12th century. This period is referred to as “The Golden Age Of Cult Metallurgy”
These bronze castings depict various animals and birds and were pendants, rings, bracelets, belt adornments, hair beads and buckles etc. They were worn as tunic jewelry, or placed around the home to bring happiness and good luck. They are found with metal detectors in the ancient ruins of towns, old cart paths and ancient battlefields. There have been grave site discoveries where the person had up to 75 pounds of metal art on them. Some of this style is often referred to as “Permian Animal Style”
This culture was Pagan and it was the Shaman who produced these castings in their metallurgic workshop foundries. The Vikings were Finno-Ugric and were thought to have began around the year 793 until around 1060. However, the discovery of two Viking burial ships on the island of Saaremaa in 2008, which were filled with Viking warriors and dated around 700 A.D. is an indication that the Viking period started in the mid 5th century. Little is known about the Vikings in their own hand because they did not use paper. They wrote on stone and wood when they wanted to record something. The word Viking may have come from an old Norse phrase “fara i viking” which means “to go on expedition”. The Vikings were the only ones to call themselves Viking. The Slavs called them Rus, the Irish called them Pagans, the French called them Northmen, and the Germans called them Ashmen because their boats were made of ash wood.
In the early Medieval Period from the 5th to the 10th century, Christian Orthodox Missionaries spread their word northward towards Scandinavia. Around the early 700s, the missionary tours began to reach the Viking Lands. At first, the Viking Norse didn’t take to Christianity, but over a few centuries, it took hold. Many of the crosses in my collection were worn by Vikings because of these missionary tours.