The carnelian Intaglio depicts the goddess Athena - (OS.217)

The carnelian Intaglio depicts the goddess Athena - (OS.217)   « Less

This delicate pair of gold earrings are formed from spirally twisted wire which tapers at both ends. The fastening hoops are elaborate and an applied round boss survives on  More »

This delicate pair of gold earrings are formed from spirally twisted wire which tapers at both ends. The fastening hoops are elaborate and an applied round boss survives on one of the earrings. In ancient Rome gold jewellery was worn by men and women of status, but was especially valued by the latter as a means of self- expression. Whereas male jewellery was often limited to a single gold finger ring, women wore much more elaborate ensembles. Indeed attempts by the state to limit such conspicuous display were met with strong resistance. In 195 BC, for example, women actually took to the streets and protested against the Oppian Law (passed in 215 BC) which attempted to curb the use of jewellery in times of war. Nearly three centuries later, the taste for fine gold amongst women was denounced by the author Pliny in his ‘Natural History.’Early Roman jewellery resembled Etruscan and Greek antecedents but by the 2nd century AD a discernible ‘Roman style’ had begun to emerge. In fact, despite their love of display, the Romans actually preferred simpler geometric designs to the extravagant mythological, figural and foliate creations of the Greeks. Goldsmiths were active in many centres of the Empire including Rome, Alexandria and Antioch but there was remarkable homogeneity in design. Likenesses of women wearing Roman jewellery have survived in the mosaics from Pompeii and Herculaneum, on Palmyran limestone funerary steles and most evocatively on the painted funerary portraits from Fayuum in Egypt. These images help to remind us this pair of earrings was once worn and treasured by a real person in antiquity.For a comparative example see: F. H. Marshall, ‘Catalogue of the Jewellery Greek, Etruscan & Roman in the Departments of Antiquities British Museum,’ (Oxford, 1969), No. 2473. (AM) - (OS.260 )   « Less

For similar examples see, 'Antiker Gold-Und Silberschmuck: Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg,' (Mainz, 1968), pp. 129-130. - (OS.456 )

For similar examples see, 'Antiker Gold-Und Silberschmuck: Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg,' (Mainz, 1968), pp. 129-130. - (OS.456 )   « Less

Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 1 st Century AD to 3 rd Century AD Collection: Jewelry Style: Roman Medium: Gold

Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 1 st Century AD to 3 rd Century AD Collection: Jewelry Style: Roman Medium: Gold   « Less

Of all the technological achievements of civilization, perhaps none so delights the senses as glass. For thousands of years, glass has been used to create jewelry, works of  More »

Of all the technological achievements of civilization, perhaps none so delights the senses as glass. For thousands of years, glass has been used to create jewelry, works of art, and functional objects of great beauty. In the Bible, the value of glass is equated with that of gold and silver, and it was indeed treated by the ancients as a precious substance. The origins of glass are lost in the mists of time, but it most probably was invented by the Egyptians in the 4th millennium B.C. The Roman naturalist Pliny attributes the discovery of glassmaking to the Phoenicians, and the cities of the Levant were famous as centers for the glass trade. The earliest glass was opaque, colored in a variety of rich hues that often imitated gems like lapis and emerald. The Egyptians used it extensively in jewelry and made little distinction between the genuine and the artificial gems. The art of glassblowing and the development of transparent glass both date to the Roman period. From centers like Tyre and Alexandria, glass vessels were exported throughout the empire and as far east as Persia and China. The Romans colored their glass in myriad shades, favoring blue, green and yellow, as well as clear. One of the most fascinating properties of glass is that, through oxidization, it acquires a rich iridescent patina with age. - (FJ.7297)   « Less

Centuries ago, mankind learned to shape and mold glass into works of delicate beauty. Transparent or opaque, simple or ornate, richly colored or somber in hue, glass was  More »

Centuries ago, mankind learned to shape and mold glass into works of delicate beauty. Transparent or opaque, simple or ornate, richly colored or somber in hue, glass was prized as an ornament by queen and commoner alike. The Romans especially enjoyed wearing glass jewelry of elegant shape and in colors that imitated rare and precious gems like lapis, turquoise, agate or onyx. Imagine this lovely bangle adorning the arm of some ancient beauty as she went, laughing with her friends, to the market, the theater or the baths. Perhaps it was one of many, giving her arm the rich glow of a peacock's tail. From such a simple but charming clue, we can imagine a vanished life, an entire world. - (GF.0181)   « Less

Centuries ago, mankind learned to shape and mold glass into works of delicate beauty. Transparent or opaque, simple or ornate, richly colored or somber in hue, glass was  More »

Centuries ago, mankind learned to shape and mold glass into works of delicate beauty. Transparent or opaque, simple or ornate, richly colored or somber in hue, glass was prized as an ornament by queen and commoner alike. The Romans especially enjoyed wearing glass jewelry of elegant shape and in colors that imitated rare and precious gems like lapis, turquoise, agate or onyx. As is still common today in the Mediterranean, children wore jewelry that echoed the fashions of adults. Imagine this pretty bracelet upon the slender wrist of a child in the classical age. We can hear the child's laugh, echoed by the jangle of her bracelets. From such a clue as this we can imagine a vanished life, an entire world. - (GF.0182)   « Less

Centuries ago, mankind learned to shape and mold glass into works of delicate beauty. Transparent or opaque, simple or ornate, richly colored or somber in hue, glass was  More »

Centuries ago, mankind learned to shape and mold glass into works of delicate beauty. Transparent or opaque, simple or ornate, richly colored or somber in hue, glass was prized as an ornament by queen and commoner alike. The Romans especially enjoyed wearing glass jewelry of elegant shape and in colors that imitated rare and precious gems like lapis, turquoise, agate or onyx. Mosaic glass might echo the bands and stripes of stone or the bright petals of flowers. As is still common today in the Mediterranean, children wore jewelry that imitated the fashions of adults. Imagine this pretty bracelet upon the slender wrist of a child in the classical age. We can hear the child's laugh, echoed by the jangle of her bracelets. From such a clue as this we can imagine a vanished life, an entire world. - (GF.0184)   « Less

Bronze Coin of Nasir Al-Din Urtuk Arslan - SJ.0958, Origin: Found in Bethlehem, Circa: 1200 AD to 1215 AD, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Artuqid, Medium: Bronze, Gold.  More »

Bronze Coin of Nasir Al-Din Urtuk Arslan - SJ.0958, Origin: Found in Bethlehem, Circa: 1200 AD to 1215 AD, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Artuqid, Medium: Bronze, Gold. Dating to the period of the Crusades, a time when the cultural lines between east and west were often blurred, this intriguing coin evokes the classical world in its iconography.   « Less

Islamic Bronze Ring - SP.201, Origin: Saudi Arabia, Circa: 700 AD to 800 AD, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Islamic, Medium: Bronze.

Islamic Bronze Ring - SP.201, Origin: Saudi Arabia, Circa: 700 AD to 800 AD, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Islamic, Medium: Bronze.   « Less