17 janvier 2025
Necklace, Byzantine; Eastern Mediterranean, probably 5th century
Necklace, Byzantine; Eastern Mediterranean, probably 5th century. Gold, glass, and silvered glass beads (modern setting), 60 × 0.5 cm. Art Institute of Chicago, Gift of Theodore W. and Frances S. Robinson, 1949.459.1.
This necklace would have lent an appearance of far greater wealth to its owner than the actual value of its component parts. Made of gold and glass, the necklace includes silvered glass beads circled by flat gold disks that were meant to look like large pearls. The rounded end of the clasp does contain one small pearl, surrounded by gold wirework that imitates the gold openwork typical of early Byzantine jewelry between the third and the seventh century.
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