![Halikon aarre]( "Halikon aarre")
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Treasure of Halikko
In 1887, an amazing silver treasure was found in Southwest Finland. The discovery was made on the grounds of Joensuu Manor in the municipality of Halikko, which is nowadays part of the city of Salo. The treasure was found in a clay pot, which was probably hidden in the ground in the mid- to late 1100s. At that time, Southwest Finland was experiencing a transition period between the Iron Age and the Middle Ages, and Christianity was gaining an increasingly strong foothold.
The most unique item in the Halikko treasure is the three-dimensional crucifix, made of gold-plated silver. It is a masterpiece of the Romanesque craftsmanship of the 1100s. The Halikko crucifix was likely made by a German goldsmith. However, no artefact similar to the crucifix has been found anywhere else in Europe. The treasure also includes two silver cross pendants, one of which is engraved with a crucifix, as well as 36 silver filigree beads and a round silver filigree pendant.
The treasure of Halikko, and especially the crucifix, must have been the property of a high-ranking priest or a rich aristocrat. Was this person a powerful figure in Halikko society or a bishop leading missionary work in the region? Or did the treasure end up in Finland after a raid on the Baltic Sea? Is the treasure a collection of valuables acquired or looted from different regions around Finland? We will never get answers to these questions. Despite this, the treasure is a glorious and fascinating reminder of the restless 1100s, one of the most important transitional periods in Finnish history.
![Krusifiksi]( "Krusifiksi")
The crucifix, made of gold-plated silver, depicts the crucified Christ with the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist standing next to him. The square fields at the ends of the cross show figures interpreted as angels. The angel at the top of the cross is waving an incense burner. The angels at the ends of the horizontal beam are carrying cloths with which they perhaps intend to wipe away the blood of the crucified. According to another interpretation, they are using the cloths to lift the soul of Christ to Heaven. An angel with wings is depicted at the base of the cross. Above the crucified wrists, you can see figures covering their faces. They symbolise the sun and the moon, which darkened at the time of Christ’s death. On the other side of the crucifix is written the Latin text “by dying on the cross, Christ redeemed everything”, the names of the four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and the names of the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist. Photo: Esa Suominen.
![Kiinnityslaite]( "Kiinnityslaite")
Between the crucifix and the chains made of braided silver threads is a complex fastening mechanism, which is also made of gold-plated silver. It is not known if it was made by the same person who crafted the crucifix itself. The fastening mechanism is dominated by a depiction of a bird standing on top of a fish. This a common moorhen, which symbolises the steadfastness of Christianity. The common moorhen is surrounded by two dragon heads. At the bottom of the fastening mechanism is a perforated bead formed by two intertwined snakes. It represents the Scandinavian Urnes style, a Viking-era animal ornament tradition, which must have been familiar to the person who made the fastening mechanism. Photo: Esa Suominen.
![Rasia]( "Rasia")
Attached to the skilfully braided silver thread chains is also a round relic box. Its cover shows the Romanesque depiction of the Lion of Judah, the symbol of Christ. The chain is connected to both the relic box and the fastening mechanism by silver ferrules resembling a stylised animal head. Like the silver bead of the fastening mechanism, they are also related to the Scandinavian tradition of using animal motifs in decorations. Photo: Esa Suominen.
![Risti]( "Risti")
The treasure also includes two simpler silver cross pendants with chains. The pendants are hollow encolpion crosses that open on a hinge. Jewellery like these could be used to carry relics, for example. The decorations on the crosses are made with engravings filled with a black alloy (niello). The encolpion crosses of Halikko date to the late 1000s or early 1100s. They are probably the work of Nordic silversmiths, although ultimately they reference Byzantine models. One of the places where the crosses could have been made is the island of Gotland in the middle of the Baltic Sea. The second cross depicts four saints, one of whom stands with his hands raised in the praying posture orans. The other side of the pendant depicts the crucified and outstretched hand of God. At the base of the cross are two small trees that symbolise the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. In the second Halikko encolpion cross, the ends of the horizontal beam depict two male heads with hands raised in prayer. The topmost point of the cross shows the sun and the bottom point of the cross shows a beast looking backwards. The other side of the cross is decorated with acanthus leaf motifs, which are popular in the Romanesque craftmanship style. Photo: Esa Suominen.
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The treasure also includes 36 different silver beads and one round silver pendant. They are decorated with filigrees, that is, patterns consisting of silver threads fixed in place by soldering. They are valuable pieces of jewellery, but not religious artefacts. Similar silver beads are found in the Baltic Sea region and in Russia. The pearls in the Halikko treasure were probably made in Gotland in the late 1000s or early 1100s. Photo: Esa Suominen.
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