Abbasid Gold Beaded Necklace with Bell and Coin Pendants - OS.285, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 9 th, Century AD, Dimensions: 21.25" (54.0cm) high, Collection: Islamic,  More »

Abbasid Gold Beaded Necklace with Bell and Coin Pendants - OS.285, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 9 th, Century AD, Dimensions: 21.25" (54.0cm) high, Collection: Islamic, Style: Abbasid, Medium: Gold , A Medieval Islamic necklace comprising of 18 bell pendants, 12 coin pendants and 39 bi-conical beads. The bell pendants are of drop-shaped convex form, each side with a leaf-shaped motif, the lower edges have granulated decoration. The suspension attachments on the coins and bell pendants with a quatrefoil rosette motif form the base with a sphere, with a central aperture above.   « Less

Jemdet Nasr Period Rabbit Pendant OF.058Origin:Mesopotamia Circa:3000BCto2900BCDimensions:1.25" (3.2cm) wide Collection: Near Eastern Style: Jemdet Nasr

Jemdet Nasr Period Rabbit Pendant OF.058Origin:Mesopotamia Circa:3000BCto2900BCDimensions:1.25" (3.2cm) wide Collection: Near Eastern Style: Jemdet Nasr   « Less

Turtle Pendant-OS.024Origin:Mesopotamia Circa:3000BCto2000BCDimensions:1.60 " (4.1cm) high x 1.50 " (3.8cm) wide Collection: Near Eastern Style: Jemdet Nasr

Turtle Pendant-OS.024Origin:Mesopotamia Circa:3000BCto2000BCDimensions:1.60 " (4.1cm) high x 1.50 " (3.8cm) wide Collection: Near Eastern Style: Jemdet Nasr   « Less

Stone Turtle Bead - OS.084Origin:Mesopotamia Circa:3000BCto1500BCDimensions: 1" (2.5cm) high Collection: Near Eastern Art Style: Jemdet Nasr Medium: Stone

Stone Turtle Bead - OS.084Origin:Mesopotamia Circa:3000BCto1500BCDimensions: 1" (2.5cm) high Collection: Near Eastern Art Style: Jemdet Nasr Medium: Stone   « Less

The goldsmiths of the classical world created delicate fantasies from gold and precious gems. The jewelry worn by the nobility of Greece and Rome was worked with sculptural  More »

The goldsmiths of the classical world created delicate fantasies from gold and precious gems. The jewelry worn by the nobility of Greece and Rome was worked with sculptural precision and a rich attention to detail. This splendid little head, part of a pendant or a clasp, offers an intriguing hint of vanished masterpiece. Crafted with a skill worthy of full-scale portraiture, it may depict a living prince or king. The garnet, of the purple hue associated with royalty, was one of the most popular gems of antiquity. As we admire this head's serene beauty today, we cannot help but wonder who might have worn it so long ago. - (FJ.0135)   « Less

In the ancient world, the theater played an important role in daily life. Every city of note from Spain to Arabia had its Odeon and its amphitheater, where the comedies and  More »

In the ancient world, the theater played an important role in daily life. Every city of note from Spain to Arabia had its Odeon and its amphitheater, where the comedies and dramas of the great masters were performed to entertain and enlighten the audience. Much of the art of the classical age reflects this love of the theater: the actor terracotta of Alexandria, for instance, or the stage-like frescoes found in Pompeii. This exquisite gold bracelet, decorated with mask motifs, may once have adorned the wrist of an actor, or perhaps simply a person who loved the drama. It evokes the truth of Shakespeare’s lovely lines, written centuries later: all the world's a stage. - (SJ.0174)   « Less

Most ancient Egyptian beads were made of faience, a glass-composite glaze which was introduced as early as the Pre-Dynastic period. According to Egyptologists, most beads  More »

Most ancient Egyptian beads were made of faience, a glass-composite glaze which was introduced as early as the Pre-Dynastic period. According to Egyptologists, most beads were made on an axis, probably of thread, which would burn up during firing, leaving a hole. Disc, ring and tubular beads were made by coating the axis with the unfired body-paste, rolling the cylinder to an even diameter on a flat surface, and then scoring it with a knife into sections of the desired length. Other shapes, such as ball beads, were rolled between the hands and perforated while still wet with a stiff point such as a wire needle. The beads were then dried, coating with glaze (if the glaze had not already been mixed with the paste), and fired. The firing process often gave the beads a beautiful translucent quality. The majority of faience beads are blue or green in color, but black, red yellow and white ones were also produced, especially in the New Egyptian Kingdom. - (FJ.1208)   « Less

Most ancient Egyptian beads were made of faience, a glass-composite glaze which was introduced as early as the Pre-Dynastic period. According to Egyptologists, most beads  More »

Most ancient Egyptian beads were made of faience, a glass-composite glaze which was introduced as early as the Pre-Dynastic period. According to Egyptologists, most beads were made on an axis, probably of thread, which would burn up during firing, leaving a hole. Disc, ring and tubular beads were made by coating the axis with the unfired body-paste, rolling the cylinder to an even diameter on a flat surface, and then scoring it with a knife into sections of the desired length. Other shapes, such as ball beads, were rolled between the hands and perforated while still wet with a stiff point such as a wire needle. The beads were then dried, coating with glaze (if the glaze had not already been mixed with the paste), and fired. The firing process often gave the beads a beautiful translucent quality. The majority of faience beads are blue or green in color, but black, red yellow and white ones were also produced, especially in the New Egyptian Kingdom. - (FJ.1209)   « Less

Most ancient Egyptian beads were made of faience, a glass-composite glaze which was introduced as early as the Pre-Dynastic period. According to Egyptologists, most beads  More »

Most ancient Egyptian beads were made of faience, a glass-composite glaze which was introduced as early as the Pre-Dynastic period. According to Egyptologists, most beads were made on an axis, probably of thread, which would burn up during firing, leaving a hole. Disc, ring and tubular beads were made by coating the axis with the unfired body-paste, rolling the cylinder to an even diameter on a flat surface, and then scoring it with a knife into sections of the desired length. Other shapes, such as ball beads, were rolled between the hands and perforated while still wet with a stiff point such as a wire needle. The beads were then dried, coating with glaze (if the glaze had not already been mixed with the paste), and fired. The firing process often gave the beads a beautiful translucent quality. The majority of faience beads are blue or green in color, but black, red yellow and white ones were also produced, especially in the New Egyptian Kingdom. - (FJ.1211)   « Less

Most ancient Egyptian beads were made of faience, a glass-composite glaze which was introduced as early as the Pre-Dynastic period. According to Egyptologists, most beads  More »

Most ancient Egyptian beads were made of faience, a glass-composite glaze which was introduced as early as the Pre-Dynastic period. According to Egyptologists, most beads were made on an axis, probably of thread, which would burn up during firing, leaving a hole. Disc, ring and tubular beads were made by coating the axis with the unfired body-paste, rolling the cylinder to an even diameter on a flat surface, and then scoring it with a knife into sections of the desired length. Other shapes, such as ball beads, were rolled between the hands and perforated while still wet with a stiff point such as a wire needle. The beads were then dried, coating with glaze (if the glaze had not already been mixed with the paste), and fired. The firing process often gave the beads a beautiful translucent quality. The majority of faience beads are blue or green in color, but black, red yellow and white ones were also produced, especially in the New Egyptian Kingdom. - (FJ.1220)   « Less