Documentation: Norway 9th-10th Century

9th-10th Century Norway Chain and Bead Strand

A Late-Night Pinterest Find Turned Tangible

Norge, Hordaland, Granvin, Trå, 97 Find No. B6657 9th-10th Century Norway (Kaland), Photo by Svein Skare

Project Summary - Documentation updated 2/29/2024

On a random evening, in early 2021, I scrolled through and found this gorgeous, and very unusual, bead and chain set that fascinated me. My goal was to reproduce this extent Norway set as close to color, feel, and scale, as I possibly could. I chose to recreate this piece using modern tools, as that is what I have currently available, but in the spirit of guiding me to have that “medieval moment” upon its completion, and its ability to be worn.

One of my next benchmarks as a glass artist is to create a period bead furnace, and I would like to attempt these particular beads using that method as well. For my strand, I used COE 104 lampworking glass rods, and different gauges of commercially drawn Fine Silver Wire. I was able to source and translate the excavation notes, and have included details from that report within my research.

My Research

As many of us who enjoy historical artwork do, I was scrolling through random Pinterest pages one evening, where sleep eluded me. I enjoy traipsing through an endless stream of ancient beads, chainmaille bits, “Viking bling”, as I’m intrigued as to how these items were brought to life, using tools and materials that were nothing like what we use now. Every once in a while, I come across an extent find that haunts me with its beauty. This strand was one of them.

This stunning find has been dated to the 9th or 10th Century, found in a woman’s grave, in Granvin, Norway. Seeing the photograph from the title page, I was entranced, and decided then and there, that I wanted to create this by my own hand. It was found in what is believed to be a complete grave, that includes a set of turtle brooches, from which I believe this strand may have hung. The contents of the entire grave have been published, which is absolutely thrilling, and informative to a point where I am able to form a visual of the woman to whom these pieces belong. Now that I have completed the piece, I realize that the woman who this strand belonged to was slight in build, based on the actual length of the strand.

The extent piece was made with eleven beads across (from left to right: green, white with black and green dots, dark red, lighter green, orange, dark red, swirled blue with yellow dot, dark red, orange, dark red and yellow), connecting eleven rings made of silver. There are three dangling rings also comprised of twisted silver wire rings, and three more elaborate focal-points, one of which also holds two dark red beads. I can imagine that weather and minerals from the earth may have changed the colors slightly over time, and so my representation is made using colors as close to the museum’s photograph as I can find available modernly.

The excavation report details the beaded chain as, “Necklace of silver rings connected with glass beads. The chain consists of 11 rings, 1.5-2 cm. in cross-section, all of double-twisted thread, except one which is of whole, cross-ribbed silver thread; they are connected so that two and two rings are passed through a bead. There are 11 pearls, four of opaque red mass, two opaque orange, one opaque green and one yellow, one fluted clear, greenish and two multicolored. Attached to the ring is a small wound of silver, a flat smooth silver ring, and a silver ring on which hang two small pearls and a narrow piece of silver ribbon with eight holes; at three other of the rings in the chain hang small twisted silver rings and a similar small ring is loose. The length of the chain is 19 cm. In comparison with this composition of pearls and silver rings can be mentioned {…} chains composed of silver rings and other links (admittedly not pearls) are found in Finland.“ (bora.uib.noa)

The report goes on to provide further detail, which includes information about a set of brooches, from which it is speculated this festoon was strung. It states, “Two oval, bowl-shaped buckles of bronze, quite similar, of the type. The fixed buds are richer in design; whether the rim is imposed two circumferential, twisted silver threads and silver threads are preserved in the grooves between the buds. The loose buds are hemispherical with shells of silver tin and filled with lead; on the outside they have a spiral pattern of soldered silver wire and traces of light gilding. The needle attachment is double, the needle made of iron.”

(https://www.unimus.no/felles/arkeologi/index_katalog.php?museum=um&museumsnr=B6657)

To create my reproduction:

First, I printed a scaled photograph of the extent find (right) so I could most accurately echo the sizes and shapes of the elements within this chain.I carefully measured (and remeasured!) the height and width of each bead, each circle of wire. I dug through my stash of glass rods and changed my mind multiples before settling on the final choices of colors used.

To create the beads, I used COE 104 glass rods with a modern MAP gas torch, and measured the extent beads in mm.Comparing my materials with the scaled photograph, I speculated an approximated 1/8” mandrel based upon hole size visible in bead 6. I confirmed with being able to string two of my spiraled loops through my beads.Molten glass is nearly impossible to maneuver to an exactness, but I believe I got pretty close to the original sizing. I kept my marked-up photograph by my side, and a metal ruler nearby, knowing that I would have only seconds to check my work, so as to not have my bead suffer from thermal shock.I opted to create what I think the beads looked like before being weathered by the environment, rather than mimicking the smoothed out, broken edges, and pockmarked surfaces.To create the extra-small dots on bead #2, I learned to pull thin stringers of glass from a full glass rod.

Bead 1: Dark green, 10x6mm; Petroleum Green, Wale Apparatus, 40-6218
Bead 2: White with green dot, black dot, both with another white dot, 9x5mm – I did four dots, mirroring the two that are shown, with alternating green opposite green, and black opposite black; White/Black dots/Petroleum Green dots, Wale Apparatus, 40-6218
Bead 3: Dark red, 10x7mm; Dark Red, Frantz Art Glass 791436
Bead 4: Translucent light green, 11x8mm; Green Nile, Frantz Art Glass 591214 (this was the closest color I had available at the time of this creation)
Bead 5: Dark yellow, 10x8mm; Tangerine Dark Yellow, Frantz Art Glass, 591412-T
Bead 6: Dark red ,11x8-9mm; Dark Red, Frantz Art Glass 791436
Bead 7: Swirled blue-teal and white, with yellow dots, 12x9mm – it almost looks like a base of white with a transparent blue/teal overlay, so I echoed that, then got my glass very molten to achieve the swirl before placing the yellow dots; White/Turquoise Medium, Frantz Art Glass 591352/Yellow Dark dots, Frantz Art Glass 791412
Bead 8: Dark red, 11x8mm, chipped; Dark Red, Frantz Art Glass 791436
Bead 9: Dark yellow, 9x5-6mm; Tangerine Dark Yellow, Frantz Art Glass, 591412-T
Bead 10: Dark red, 10x8mm; Dark Red, Frantz Art Glass 791436

Bead 11: Bright yellow, 8x6mm; Yellow Dark, Frantz Art Glass 791412
Bead 12: 6x2-4mm (top bead); Dark Red, Frantz Art Glass 791436
Bead 13: 8x3-5mm (Bottom bead); Dark Red, Frantz Art Glass 791436

I determined the gauge of the wire used by laying scraps of different wires over the photograph.I matched as closely as I was able to, using commercially made wire, as I am not able to access a forge to create my own from ingot.I chose 22awg gauge fine silver wire, twisted two strands together by hand, then wound them around my fingers to form the circles, before knotting them to match the photo as best as able.The sizing of the rings are surprisingly more uniform than one would expect: the smallest is 13mm and the largest about 20mm diameter.

The hanging, decorative rings are also made from doubled, twisted, 22awg .999 Fine Silver wire.

Ring one (on connector three): 9mm
Ring two (on connector four): 11mm
Ring three (on connector eleven): 8mm
Snake spiral on connector five was created from 12swg .925 Sterling Silver wire
- One end tapered, goes over-top the rest of the spiral, has markings echoing a snake face. I created this using a hammer on anvil, then making the indentations with an iron nail.
- The snake has a defined texture on a convex surface, that was likely stamped before twisting the wire into shape, as the detailed photo shows that pattern underneath the snake head, without a break in pattern. I created a similar texture using a modern tool.
- The snake is connected with a double-wrapped, knotted wire, rather than a jump ring like the other two dangling elements.
Ring, hoop, beads, and spike on connector nine
- Hoop connected with a smooth jump ring style circle that doesn’t appear to be connected to the dangling ring – I used 16swg wire that I hammered to resemble the shape in the photograph.
- Spike Beads #12 and #13 are both dark red, and all hung on a single wire that appears to be hammered flatter, but with a smooth flat surface. I liked the unevenness of the extent beads, and attempted to keep that aesthetic.
Spike 4x36, loop at top overlaps 5mm down, was created from .925 Sterling Silver wire, which I made by hammering 12swg wire on an anvil to form the general width and shape of the spike. I purposely did NOT add the holes that were in the original attempt, as in my initial attempt, it distorted the metal and I would much rather have the overall feel of the piece, than to have that detail on my completed piece.
For connector 10 I again used 12swg gauge wire, hammered flat, for the accent on connector ten, which is also connected with what appears to be a roughly oval jump ring.

What I noticed:

Reds and dark yellow beads are pitted with divots, more consistently than the other colors.
Bead #9 is indented on the visible side, like something may have fallen on the molten glass or chipped it very smoothly afterward.
The dotted beads (#2 and #7) are smooth and nearly flawless to this day.
The wire used was likely forged from ingot and tapered to wrap around itself, as evident by the slight inconsistency in thickness, and the ability to use it to securely wrap the ends around itself on the focal pieces.
There are no obviously pokey ends on the wire rings, which may be due to friction during its time underground, but also may show the ability to file the wire down to a smoothness.

What I wonder:

Beads:

Beads #1 and #4 are matte – did they start out that way, or was it from environmental affectation?
Bead #4 is the only translucent – why?! Was that a condition that happened with weathering, climate and erosion, or was that the actual color of glass available? If that was available, why is it vastly different from bead #1?
Why were so many dark red – was it the artist’s preference or material availability?
How was their spike created? Was it a drawplate as speculated?

Spiral:

From examining the high-resolution photograph, I was able to determine that the spiral was a snake! There were even indentations for the eyes and nose! Were these created using two rocks, or a specialty tool to make decorative indentations?
Spirals are found throughout the Norse time period, certainly in myriad geography. Snakes and dragons were images that were found widely, and often. Did this signify and represent a sort of symbolism? Modernly, snakes equate to evil, or the devil. Was this true then, as well?

Connecting Wires:

Connector six appears to be a single wire but with a wrapped ghost image, rather than the obvious twist that comprised each of the other rings – was it melted down? Why was this one so different in aesthetics and workmanship? Not having access to a forge hot enough to melt silver, I have left mine simply wound around a solid wire core.
I wonder if the wire rings hanging from the third, fourth and eleventh larger wire rings originally held beads, or other ornamentation? Were they indicative of some other superstition or belief, such as our infinity symbol?
How were these worn? Was it kept on via textile that may have eroded, such as to be a necklace, or was it hanging as a festoon from brooches found in the same grave, as the archeologists speculate?

What I learned:

I learned how to create a uniform stringer out of a full rod of glass, which will be useful in MANY projects. I did this by heating a ball of glass on the end of my rod, attaching a steel punty to the end, and carefully pulling it taut as it cooled. In period, this was shown to be done by melting a chunk of glass in a crucible, then pulling a thin rod from the liquid glass (academia.edu).
I successfully swirled the turquoise glass over a body of white, in the proper scaled size, and added the yellow dots… on my first attempt of this bead!
Prior to this, I had not hammered metal before. It was fascinating to see how the width changed, and the metal bent as I worked, making it so that I had to hammer both the visible top, and then flip it to the bottom to do the same, so as to not have a warped curve. It wasn’t until I went to shape the snake and the spike that I realized how much the hammering work-hardened the silver to a stronger temper.

Photo: Kicking Ash, Viking Glass Bead Making (exarc.net)

What I would do differently next time:

I would attempt to create the beads using a period bead furnace, as that was how these beads were created. A bead furnace was made from combining clay with horse manure (academia.edu), then formed into a conical shape with a hole at the top. The inside of the cone would hold a fire. The top of the cone would be open, focusing the heat, and this is where the bead would be made. I believe this would give me even more of that “medieval moment” than I have already experienced by creating my reproduction.
Since the first showing of my reproduction, in May 2023, I have changed the simple jump rings holding the chain onto brooches to a wrapped-wire ring that better lends to the feel of the find. I would like to carve and cast the brooches from this grave at a point in the future.
I'd like to learn metal forging to create my own wire from ingot, then more accurately represent the tapering that was used, and wrapped to close each of the focal pieces. I would also like to experiment with how to get the holes in the spike, so they don’t distort the shape of the metal.

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Works Cited:

https://www.academia.edu/15486278/Glass_on_Fire_Temperatures_in_reconstructed_Viking_Era_bead_furnaces_in_Can_These_Bones_Come_to_Life_Insights_from_Reconstruction_Reenactment_and_Re_creation_Vol_II

Accessed May 10, 2023 – Glass stringer/rod creation, bead furnace information

https://bora.uib.no/bora-xmlui/bitstream/handle/1956/11396/kaland-kvinnegraven-fra-tra-i-granvin.pdf?sequence=1

Accessed May 3, 2021 – Archeology report, translated to English via Google Translate

https://exarc.net/issue-2017-4/ea/kicking-ash

Accessed May 10, 2023 – Bead furnace photograph

https://www.unimus.no/felles/arkeologi/index_katalog.php?museum=um&museumsnr=B6657

Accessed July 11, 2022 – Unimus museum grave information, translated with Google

https://www.unimus.no/felles/bilder/web_hent_bilde.php?id=13033938&type=jpeg

Accessed July 11, 2022 - High resolution photo