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http://stores.ebay.com/Metal-Art-Manifestations - Viking raids of the 9th and 10th centuries caused upheavals that put an end to contemporary artistic endeavor. The return of settled conditions around 1100 brought with it a period of renewed creative activity, although the virtuosity of earlier centuries was never regained. Shrines and reliquaries for sacred objects such as the great processional cross from Cong were the outstanding artistic productions of the time. An important innovation, most evident in the carving of stone crosses and metalwork, was the gradual movement away from abstract geometric decoration toward increasing representation of the human figure, particularly bishops, saints, and biblical personages.