Hallstatt gold bracelet. Urnfield Culture, 12th–10th centuries BC.

Gold spiral bracelet with three paired strands, one twisted, the others plain. One terminal is folded back to form an eyelet (Öse) by returning the paired wires. This is the classic morphology of Urnfield “Spiralarmringe mit Öse”, well attested across Central Europe and particularly in the Hallstatt sphere. Spiral bracelets of the Urnfield culture (Hallstatt A) are mainly found in deposits in funerary or cultic contexts. These proto-Celtic pieces function both as personal ornaments and as items with proto-monetary or votive roles (offerings).

The remarkable condition and the small, un-stretched coil diameter, not adjusted for wear, point to a votive destination—funerary or cultic deposit.
Provenance: private collection, southern Germany. The piece comes from public auction and is accompanied by a definitive export certificate issued by the State of Bavaria.
Works consulted:
· Der Arm- und Beinschmuck der Bronze- und Urnenfelderzeit in Hessen und Rheinhessen. Prähistorische Bronzefunde X/1, Richter, München: C.H. Beck, 1970.
· Handbuch der Vorgeschichte. Bd. IV: Bronzezeit, Müller-Karpe, München: C.H. Beck, 1980.
· Zu den Gewässerfunden der älteren Urnenfelderzeit in Süddeutschland, Falkenstein, Würzburg Univ.