Western Asiatic Electrum Pendant with Granulation
£ 295.00
A fine Western Asiatic electrum pendant encompassing a grey, rectangular hardstone, dating to the first millenium BC. The body of the pendant, formed from an electrum sheet, is rectangular and features three rows of four granulation clusters in the shape of a diamond. The pendant is further enriched by two pyramid-like clusters of granules at the bottom of the pendant. To the reverse, the gold sheet finishes in a triangular shape, curved around the stone to hold it in place. A loop has been applied later in antiquity, which has subsequently been repaired.
Date: Circa 1st Millenium BC
Provenance: Ex Japanese private collection, deceased, 1970-2010.
Condition: Fine condition, small chips and surface scratches to the metal consistent with age along with some encrustation. Repair to the pendant loop.
SOLD
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 in jewellery. Gold and other precious metals 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, 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 learn more about decorative jewellery techniques in Antiquity, please refer to our relevant blog post: Decorative Metalwork Techniques
