Chain with Needle Box "Birka"

Viking chain with needle box replica from Birka.

This beautiful Viking necklace, which you can buy here, was authentically made from an archaeological find and features a replica of a 10th century needle box from the Viking town of Birka.

Link to the original needle case...

Needle boxes made of bronze are known from several sites from the Viking Age and were found in Birka and on Gotland, among others. Often these needle boxes consisted only of a simple rolled sheet of metal, but in the Viking Age there were also elaborate needle boxes cast in bronze with large decorative plates and chain hangings on the lower rim.

The needle box is on a stave chain replica, which has a small S-hook at the other end, which is hooked into a brooch attached to the chest, from which the needle box then hangs down the chain.

The complete Viking chain measures 26 cm including the hook and the needle box, which is long enough for the needle box to be at about waist height.
The needle box measures 5 x 1.8 x 0.8 cm.

The Viking chain is made of high-quality bronze and also available in real silver-plated.

To ensure that the delicate needles made of bone or metal did not get lost and were always at hand, Viking women usually carried a small needle box made of bone, antler or bronze on their clothing.

The needle box was often tube-like and open on both sides. At that time, a piece of virgin wool inside the needle box provided the necessary hold for the precious needles and ensured that they did not slip out and were still easy to grasp.