Chain with Needle Case "Gotland"

Viking Stave chain with tubular needle case replica.

The Viking chain that you can buy here is made true to detail after a Viking Age find and features a replica of a needle case based on historical models from Birka and Gotland.

Chains are found in all kinds of forms in the burials of the Viking Age, especially in eastern Sweden and on Gotland as well as in the Baltic States. They were often used to attach so-called functional pendants such as needle cases, keys, or hygiene utensils.

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

The needle box measures 7 x 2 cm with an inner diameter of 0.7 cm.

The complete necklace measures 27 cm including the hook and the needle case, which is long enough for the needle case to be at about waist height. The brooch chain is made of high-quality bronze and silver-plated.

Tubular needle cases made of bronze are known from several sites from the Viking Age and have been found in Birka, Sweden, and on Gotland, among other places. Link to the original needle case...

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 in 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.