Elaborate Western Asiatic Gold Pendant with Carnelian Beads

$878.28

An extremely fine and elaborate Western Asiatic gold pendant, featuring two round hard-stone beads to the top, one of which carved from banded agate, and tree gold pendant elements to the lower part. The central element features a carnelian elongated bead held in place by hemispherical-shaped gold beads, while the lateral elements display a tear drop-like shape, enriched by coiled gold wires. Such pendant has been adapted from an earring in ancient times, with the suspension loop modelled from ancient gold. A truly exceptional jewel, witnessing the mastery of Western Asiatic goldsmiths.

Date: Circa 1st Millennium BC
Condition: Very fine, suitable for modern wear with care.

SOLD

SKU: CS-256 Category: Tag:

Many grand civilisations inhabited the area of Western Asia in Antiquity, and their wealth and prosperity are witnessed by the very sophisticated precious metal crafting of jewellery. Gold would have been hammered down to a thin layer and manipulated into different shapes. Gold and silver jewellery would have featured gold granules, glass and semi-precious stone inlays and detailed engravings. Very fine granulation along with filigree, were at the centre of Near Eastern and Western Asiatic jewellery production and were later adopted by the Greeks, Etruscans and Romans.

To discover more about gemstones in Antiquity, please visit our relevant blog post: The History and Mythology of Jewellery in Antiquity.

Weight 5 g
Dimensions L 4 cm
Culture

Metal

Region

Semi-Precious Stones

Reference: For a similar item, see Christie’s, 13th December 2013, Auction 2771, Lot 2013