Hellenistic Jeweled Gold Necklace and Earrings, c. 1st Century BC Made of gold, emerald, garnet and agate, this group is an incredibly fine testament to the level of skill the goldsmith’s craft had achieved by the second century. Granulation, delicate wire work, polychromy, and even three dimensional molding and inlay – some of the most difficult and most beautiful techniques in goldwork – were lavished upon these pieces, making this particular group of pieces among the most luxurious and valuable examples of Hellenistic jewelry known. At the center of the necklace, two agate beads terminate in lynx-head finials. These finials are wonderfully modeled in the round, and the expressiveness and fine proportions of the feline faces place this piece among the finest examples of Hellenistic goldwork. Although animal-headed finials are commonly seen from about the 4th century onward, these two lynxes display the artist’s superior technical skill and sensitivity towards the musculature of the faces. The heads are well-rounded and covered in very fine lines to indicate fur. The ears are large and wide at the base, set well-back on the head. Even the pads for the whiskers have been rendered convincingly. A single inlaid glass eye remains, giving the lynx an arresting stare. The artist’s thoughtfulness and attention to detail are such that the lynxes hold the links connecting the three cabochons at the center to the rest of the necklace in their mouths as if they are carrying the stones.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 15:33:00 +0000
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