Western Asiatic Gold Pendant with Foot Amulet

$499.17

A fine Western Asiatic pendant composed of a gold wire, modelled in a loop at the top for suspension and holding a foot like shaped coral bead at the bottom. From the loop sits green glass, carnelian, gold and agate beads.

Date: 1st Millennium BC
Provenance: From the collection of a Japanese gentleman, deceased (1970-2010); collected in the 1990s.
Condition: Very fine, slight chip in bottom bead, suitable for modern wear with care.

SOLD

SKU: GL-47 Category: Tag:

The foot shaped amulet could have possibly bestowed protection on the relative body part of the wearer. This was not an usual practice, as, for example, in the neighbouring Egyptian culture, many amulets modelled in body parts, such as the feet, were intended to protect and fortify that area of the body, or, if used in a funeral context, provide the deceased with the ability to walk in the afterlife. It is not unlikely that such an amulet had similar intended properties.

Many grand civilizations inhabited the area of Western Asia in Antiquity, and their wealth and prosperity are 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. Very sophisticated metalwork techniques, such as gold filigree and granulation 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 3.82 g
Dimensions L 4.9 cm
Culture

Metal

Semi-Precious Stones

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