Near Eastern Gold and Garnet Pendant

£500.00

A fine Near Eastern pendant featuring a large spherical gold bead enriched with gold granules forming triangles and filigree forming circles alternating with one another. A small garnet bead sits above with a carnelian and garnet bead below. A bead consisting of two rows of granules is placed in between the carnelian and garnet. A loop is attached to the top for suspension.

Date: Circa 1st Millenium BC
Condition: Fine condition, minor crack to the body of the gold bead

SOLD

SKU: WF-34 Category: Tags: ,

Many grand civilizations inhabited the area of Western Asia in Antiquity, and their wealth and prosperity is 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, electrum and silver jewellery would have featured gold granules, glass and semi-precious stone inlays and detailed engravings. Fine granulation, as we can see on this item, 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 find out more about different metal decorative techniques please see our relevant blog post: Decorative Metalwork Techniques

Weight 4.1 g
Dimensions L 3.5 x W 1.2 cm
Culture

Region

Metal

Semi-Precious Stones

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