Two Fifth Century Ad Byzantine Silver Bowls From Estonia

Abstract

This paper deals with the rare silver bowls found at Kriimani and Varnja in eastern Estonia in the 19th century. The vessels are outwardly similar and have been made in the Byzantine Empire in the late 5th -early 6th century. There are four impressed control stamps of the reign of the Emperor Anastasius I (491-518 AD) on the bottom of the vessel from Varnja. In the paper an archaeological and art historical overview of silverware has been given and the questions of how and why such luxury items reached so far north are being discussed. Also S. Felten's, a jeweller-conservator's vision of how the Kriimani vessel had been made and how the only partly survived artefact was restored, has been added.

The Migration Period, Pre-Viking Age, and Viking Age in Estonia

“…Although the vessels found in Estonia have no exact counterparts elsewhere, their shape, decoration, and control stamps suggest Byzantine territory as the place of their production, and date the vessel to the late 5 th or early 6 th century. Considering that both vessels were found in inland Estonia not far from the waterways leading to the east and south, it may be that they arrived directly from the south (Quast & Tamla 2010). It is impossible to say for sure whether these items, so exceptional in the Estonian context, ended up in the (assumed) burial places as grave goods, sacrifices, or hoards, or whether they were left behind after some ritual feast performed at the grave.…”

The Jägala Fibula Revisited, or Remarks on Werner’s Class Ii D

“…The section between Kiev and Zaporizhzhia, at the southern end of the 70 km-long stretch of rapids in the steppe belt, is the Middle Dnieper. 28 No II D fibulae have so far been found further to the north, in south-eastern Estonia or around Lake Peipus, a region otherwise known for exceptional imports from Byzantium (Quast et al 2010).…”

Importance of terms: What is a wealth deposit?

“…First of all, in some lucky circumstances it is possible to actually see from the environment of concealment that the deposit must have been an acknowledged act. Such examples are the two Byzantine silver vessels from Estoniaone discovered under a stone, the other from the heap of stones of an old stone grave (see Oras 2009, p. 38, 44, nos 6, 18;Oras 2010, nos 10, 11;Quast and Tamla 2010). Both the environment of concealment and the measurements of the artefact testify that accidental loss is almost impossible.…”