Western Asiatic Gold Pendant with Granules and Garnet Beads

£ 295.00

A beautifully modelled Western Asiatic gold pendant from the ancient region of Bactria. The pendant comprises very fine gold granules arranged in a pyramid-like shape, and is further enriched by two cabochon garnets, held by a gold cell, one at each side of the pendant’s body. Such pendant would have been originally modelled as an earring; the suspension loop to the top of the pendant has been remodelled in Antiquity  to allow wear.

Date: Circa 3rd-2nd Millennium BC
Condition: Fine, suitable for modern wear with care.

SOLD

SKU: CS-64 Category: Tag:

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, semi-precious stone inlays and detailed engravings. Fine granulation, as we can see on this piece, 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 1 g
Dimensions L 1.3 cm
Culture

Metal

Region

Semi-Precious Stones

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