Bracelet (fragment)

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This fragment of a silver bracelet was found in a hoard of hacksilver and coins buried at Storr Rock on Skye between 935 and 940. It was made in the Baltic or south Scandinavia, and imported to Scotland via Scandinavia, together with the Arabic coins in the hoard.

The bracelet is a type known as a spiral or Permian ring. It is the only known example from Scotland. It has continuous grooving over much of the ring, but then merges into a plain rod at both ends which would have had hooks or knobs if complete.

Spiral rings were made in the Baltic region of Eastern Europe as neck rings, but were coiled into spirals in Scandinavia. Later they were also copied in southern Scandinavia. Many were made to a weight standard and functioned as money.

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• Online ID: 000-190-004-106-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  X.IL 282
• Date: Deposited between 935 and 940
  
• Material: Silver; spiral pattern without ends
  Ring, neck
  
• Dimensions:
• What: Ring, neck
  
• Subject:
• Who:
• Where: Scotland, Inverness-shire, Skye, Storr Rock
  
• Event:
• Description: Silver neck ring of spiral pattern without ends, from Storr Rock, Skye
  
• References:
  • Graham-Campbell, James. The Viking-age gold and silver of Scotland (AD 850-1100). Edinburgh: National Museums of Scotland, 1995, pp 28, 144. 
• Translations:
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