Ca. 900-1100 AD. Viking Age. A beautiful openwork pendant decorated with circular and rectangular openings of various sizes. The cross at the centre indicates that the Viking owner of this fine pendant may have converted to Christianity. Though the Christianisation of the Vikings marks the end of the Viking Age, the introduction of Christianity to Scandinavia progressed slowly since the 8th century AD, and the Viking art forms reflect the process in a gradual inclusion of Christian motifs through these centuries (Graham-Campbell 2013, 10). Therefore, we find several examples of syncretism between Christian and Norse symbols in Viking Art (see Graham-Campbell 2013, 178-186). In this instance, the irregular oval shape of this pendant may remind of the more common Yggdrasill pendants, suggesting that this pendant is an example of such syncretism - in Norse mythology Yggdrasill is the world tree, a giant ash supporting the universe. One of its roots extended into Niflheim, the underworld; another into Jötunheim, land of the giants; and the third into Asgard, home of the gods. To find out more about Viking art, see Graham-Campbell, J. (2013). Viking Art. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd. Size: L:48mm / W:55mm ; 25g. Provenance: Property of a London gentleman, part of his family collection formed in the 1980s-2000.