9th-12th century AD. A bronze seated figure of a nude male with exaggerated genitals, hands resting on bent knees, incised Y-shaped detail on the chest, youthful face with moustache. 15 grams, 37mm (1 1/2"). Property of a Dutch gentleman; formerly in a private collection formed in Berlin, Germany; acquired on the European art market before 2000. The figure is dated to the Viking Age and has an erect penis, so it is assumed to be the god Freyr. This is due to an 11th century description of a phallic Freyr statue in the temple at Uppsala, but the identification is uncertain. It has also been suggested that the figure is a gaming piece. If it is the image of a god, it could be a small, devotional statuette of a type mentioned in Old Norse sagas. Very fine condition.