Roman Black Glass Necklace

£ 75.00

A finely restrung Ancient Roman necklace composed of circular glass beads of different shapes and hues of black. The beads are largely uniform in size and colour and feature a pendant-like drop formed from a cylindrical bead and a highly polished hexagonal bead that contrasts beautifully with the rest of the beads. Each bead is unique in translucency, texture and shapes which create a mosaic-like impression. The necklace testify to the popularity of glass ornaments across the Roman Empire. The necklace is finished with a gold clasp (please be aware the clasp has not been professionally tied).

Date: Circa 1st - 3rd Century AD
Condition: Fine condition, the necklace has been restrung. Half length 25.6cm

SOLD

SKU: SK-72 Category: Tags: ,

The mass production of glass in Ancient Rome prompted the development of glass jewellery. Core-formed and cast-vessels were first produced in Egypt and Mesopotamia, but only started being imported around 500 BC. However, the Roman Glass industry developed to full maturity during the first half of the first century. This was likely due to Rome’s emergence as a political and economic strength in the Mediterranean world which attracted skills artisans to the city, but also coincided with the invention of glassblowing.

The ancient Romans considered jewellery to be an essential accessory, for it provided a public display of their wealth. Roman jewellery at first followed trends set by the Etruscans, using gold and glass beads, but as the power and spread of the Roman Empire increased, jewellery designs became increasingly elaborate. Different cultural styles from Greece, Egypt, North Africa, and the Orient were all incorporated to reflect Rome’s prosperity as a dominant, conquering city. Archaeological finds of Roman jewellery are relatively rare, considering the magnitude of Roman civilisation and the historical and geographical span of the Empire.

The ageing process of glass endows Roman glass jewellery with unique qualities. For instance, contaminants manufactured into the glass, exposed to the surrounding environment over thousands of years, result in beautiful lustres and speckling, where the glass might formerly have been transparent.

To find out more about Roman glass please see our relevant blog posts: Ancient Glass and Collecting Roman Glass

Weight 16.9 g
Dimensions L 46.6 cm
Culture

Glass

Region

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