Viking key heart shape Sigtuna, bronze

Product description

This finely detailed key with heart-shaped handle is modeled after a find from an excavation at Norrtil near Sigtuna (Sweden), which is now in the permanent Viking exhibition of the Historical Museum in Stockholm.

The heart-shaped decoration on the handle is quite unique for late Viking keys and is reminiscent of contemporaneous Eastern belt fittings — possibly a sign of Eastern influence. This type is a so-called pull lock key: instead of turning, the key was pulled through the lock, whereby steel springs in the lock were compressed by the key bit so that the shackle became loose. As with other Viking keys, wearing them was a status symbol of the married woman, visibly worn on the belt or on a chain on the chest.

A beautifully detailed accessory for those who want to depict the Viking Age in detail.