Up for sale is a rare and evocative hand-forged iron spiked crusie (fat) lamp from the Viking Age/early medieval period, circa 9th–13th century AD, originating in northern Europe (likely Scandinavia or Anglo-Scandinavian England). Crafted from a single wrought iron bar, the shallow oval boat-shaped bowl—with integrated pointed wick channel—is hammered seamlessly from the long square-tapered ground spike, allowing it to be thrust into soil, turf walls, or timber beams for hands-free use in dim longhouses or encampments. No evidence of later welding or repair; the joint displays authentic forge marks and uniform archaeological patina from centuries of burial. Loaded with rendered animal fat (tallow/lard) and a simple rush wick, this was essential pre-candle rural lighting, evoking the smoky hearths of Viking settlers. Personally bought from a collector who assembled a large private collection of Asian art over 40 years and a primitive lighting collection during the 1990’s. His Asian collection was featured in a full Skinners auction house catalog. This short provenance info will be provided to buyer.
Construction: It's most likely a single-piece forging (or minimally forge-welded at the joint for stability during shaping), which is spot-on for 9th–13th century northern European examples. True "melted on" implies casting or modern welding, which this isn't— the rough, irregular overlap and lack of casting flash point to blacksmith work on a bloomery iron bar (low-carbon, uneven wrought iron typical of the era). If it were a later addition (e.g., 16th–18th century repair on an older bowl), you'd see mismatched patina or tool marks, but here it's uniform. This reinforces the Viking Age/early medieval attribution rather than downgrading it to a colonial-era piece.
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Age: 9th–13th century AD. Parallels like those from Birka and York excavations show identical one-piece (or forge-welded) spiked forms, predating the more refined multi-part crusies of the late medieval period.
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Usage/Origin: Portable fat-burner for rural longhouses or camps, northern Europe (Scandinavia/England). The spike's square taper and the bowl's shallow, wick-resting point are unchanged hallmarks.
Item dimensions: 11.75 in tall × 4.75 in wide × 5.25 in deep
Weight of item only: 9.5 oz
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