Ca. 900-1100 AD A heavy bronze bracelet with punched geometric decoration; terminals shaped as dragon heads represented by concentric eyes. 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. Size: L:54mm / W:48mm ; 15.28g Provenance: Property of an Oxfordshire art professional; previously in an old British collection, formed in the 1980s on the UK / International art markets.