Crested and be-tusked, the elegant head of a wild boar has been shaped in radiant gold. A favorite hunting quarry in antiquity, this animal may allude to the mythic Caledonian boar, brought down by the huntress Atlanta. From this small but exquisite clue, we can imagine the splendor of the original necklace. Perhaps it was the treasured jewel of a woman, beautiful and independent, which identified with the fabled Atlanta, who competed with men and triumphed. Whatever its history, there is no denying the classical elegance of this finial, as appealing today as when Rome ruled the world. - (FJ.0133)
Antiquities Ancient Jewelry
|