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. Here a garnet was used, prized for its rich colour and beauty, but other stones such as carnelian . 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
Western Asiatic Crescent Pendant with Garnet
£ 495.00
A fine Western Asiatic gold pendant featuring a central garnet held in place by a gold crescent shaped cell. The garnet is secured and decorated with an open metal work design in the shape of a circle and two ‘C’ shapes. Below hangs a garnet bead, enclosed between small bands of granulated gold, held in place by an electrum pin terminating in a larger granule. The reverse of the pendant is smooth and unadorned. A loop with an electrum hoop has been added in antiquity for suspension.
Condition: Fine condition, slight detachment to the top and side of the frame.
SOLD
| Weight | 1.6 g |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | L 2.5 x W 1.5 cm |
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| Semi-Precious Stones | |
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