Baltic bird pendant Sateles, 11th-12th century, bronze

Product description

This pendant is a detailed replica of a medieval bird pendant from the Turaida Museum in Latvia, found at the fortress of Sateseles in the Gauja National Park near Sigulda — a settlement of the ancient Liven. The original dates from the end of the 11th to the beginning of the 12th century.

Bird pendants were widespread in the Baltic region between the 9th and 12th centuries and served as mediators between worlds: as carriers of the soul or protective beings that guided the transition between life and death. In a funerary context they point to pagan views on the afterlife, while wearing them in everyday life probably had a magical-religious meaning.

A meaningful pendant that reflects the rich, early to high medieval culture of the Baltic Sea region.