700-1100 AD, Viking Age. A bronze pendant comprising a stylised openwork dragon-shaped handle on the upper part and below it a comb with long, pointed teeth. Extensive dot-in-circle motifs cover much of the surface of the object. In Norse mythology, Jormungand (pronounced “YOUR-mun-gand;” Old Norse Jörmungandr, “Great Beast”), also called the “Midgard Serpent,” is a snake or dragon who lives in the ocean that surrounds Midgard, the visible world. He was so enormous that his body forms a circle around the entirety of Midgard. He is one of the three children of Loki and the giantess Angrboda, along with Hel and Fenrir.Both men and women wore long hair among the Vikings, and it is therefore possible that this beautiful piece belonged to a well-groomed Viking warrior. Excellent condition; beautiful patina. Size: L:46mm / W:70mm ; 36.2g; Provenance: Property of an established London gallery; acquired from a private estate collection formed before 2000.