Near Eastern Gold Pendant with Turquoise Inset
£ 450.00
A fine Near Eastern gold pendant featuring a turquoise inset. The pendant is curved in shape with a hollow interior, as seen by the perforations to the top and sides. The pendant features fine filigree of which twisted gold wires outline the edges of the front of the pendant, as well as creating circular and tear-drop motifs to the top left, top right, and bottom. To the centre, a round turquoise stone is encased in gold, and further surrounded by a twisted gold wire in a circle. This pattern is repeated on the back with the exception of the semi-precious stone. Two gold bars and loops have been added to the top for suspension.
Date: Circa 1st millennium BC
Provenance: Ex Japanese deceased gentleman collection, 1970-2010.
Condition: Very fine condition, some wear from age and earthy encrustations to the surface, and around the perforations.
In stock
Many grand civilisations inhabited the Near East, their wealth and prosperity is witnessed by the very sophisticated precious metal crafting of jewellery. Gold would have been hammered down into a thin layer and manipulated into different shape. Filigree consisted of designs created from twisted wire and small beads soldered together forming different motifs and patterns. Gold and silver jewellery were also enriched with gold granules, glass, and semi-precious stone inlays with 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 find out more about different metal decorative techniques please see our relevant blog post: Decorative Metalwork Techniques
