Ancient Greek Gold Funerary Headband

£ 650.00

A finely modelled Ancient Greek diadem fragment hammered from a thin gold leaf. The piece is bordered by a continuous frieze of small circles, rendered in repousse technique, while the majority of leaf’s surface has been left untouched by the craftsman. This beautiful piece of ancient funerary jewellery is integrated with a red support, which brings out the shine of the gold, and a layer of protective plastic.

Date: Circa 323-31 BC.
Condition: Very fine condition with irregular edges on the central part. The dimensions given do not include the stand however the weight includes the diadem, red support and the protective plastic.

SOLD

SKU: CG-08 Category: Tags: ,

In Ancient Greece, as in many ancient societies, jewellery was an important social marker used to demonstrate wealth, social status and privilege. There, however, this was not only true for the living but also for the dead as this diadem reminds us: it was not designed for everyday life as it is too thin and fragile. Rather, it was created for funeral purposes and decorated the forehead of a wealthy deceased. Greek tombs were rich in gold plaques, wether they were engraved or not, as they could decorate not only bodies but also clothing and, in some specific case, help the soul to reach the after life. Indeed, believers in Orphism would be buried with plaques that featured instructions, known as Totenpass in German, to make sure they would get the favours of the Queen of the Underworld, Persephone, and therefore access to a good afterlife.

Weight 72.9 g
Dimensions L 12.5 x H 3.7 cm
Culture

Metal

Region

Reference: For a similar item, The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, item AN1954.710

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