Roundel, Iran, 11th century. Gold; filigree, granulation. Diam. 2 13/16 in. (7.1 cm) D. 3/16 in. (0.5 cm) Wt. 0.9 oz. (25.5 g). The Alice and Nasli Heeramaneck Collection, Gift of Alice Heeramaneck, 1980, 1980.344 © 2000–2017 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This splendid gold roundel exemplifies the refinement of Seljuq goldsmithing by virtue of its construction and combination of techniques. The filigree on the surface is laid on a ground of thin, gold strips arranged in concentric circles, a technique influenced by contemporaneous jewelry from Syria and the Fatimid dynasty in Egypt. The object resembles a sunburst, and its central element, now lost, might have been a gem or gold dome surrounded by six stars, symbolizing the planets. It could have been sewn onto a man’s headdress, as seen in images of Seljuq grandees.