Roman Dark Blue Glass Necklace

£ 75.00

An Ancient Roman restrung necklace comprised of dark blue glass beads of varying sizes. The beads differ slightly in shape from circular to ovoid. The beads subtly increase in size towards the centre where the necklace is enriched with a pendant-like feature composed of one large and four medium-sized beads. The necklace is finished with a gold-plated clasp (please be aware that the clasp has not been professionally tied).

Date: Circa 1st – 4th Century AD
Condition: Fine condition, the necklace has been restrung. Half length 27.2cm

SOLD

SKU: SK-66 Category: Tags: , ,

The mass production of glass in Ancient Rome prompted the development of glass jewellery. 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.

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.

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

Weight 22.83 g
Dimensions L 48.4 cm
Culture

Glass

Region

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