- Museum number
- 1917,0601.1358
- Description
-
Gold bracelet (or earring) made of two sheets joined together with decoration on either side comprising figural and geometric designs. The recto is decorated with granulation technique and presents the following pattern (from the top to bottom): a meander; two sphinxes walking towards the right side; three crescents soldered at a later stage; a ten-tipped star inscribed into a solar circle; two human figures in the round (made up by joining two gold sheets) placed above the two external crescents; a central field with both geometric patterns and three narrative scenes (two facing warriors with spears in a natural setting with shrubs / an armed knight / two facing warriors with spears in a natural setting with shrubs); two crescents soldered at a later stage; a lion looking backwards and two sphinxes. The verso depicts the following embossed decoration: a vertical braid; five sphinxes; three volutes; a vertical braid; two harpies; a horizontal braid; three stylized harpies into volutes; three sphinxes; a lion looking backwards and two sphinxes. The decorated plaque ends at either side with a hinge.
- Production date
-
650BC-625BC
-
(late)7thC BC
- Dimensions
-
Length: 16.50 centimetres
-
Weight: 14 grammes (Domenici 1995, 36)
-
Weight: 212 grains
-
Width: 3.30 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- Becatti (Becatti 1955, 69) supposes that these two specimens were earrings, justifying this argument with the fact that they are a pair and that both sides of each decorated plaque could only have been visible if worn as earrings. They were probably bracelets (Karo 1092, vol. II, pag.97; Marshall 1911, nos. 1358-1359; Pinza 1915, pag.388; Cristofani 1983, pag. 38), as the hinges on the ends seem to be original. Domenici (1995, 47-48) suggests that the closest Etruscan comparanda, dated to the Orientalizing period, are from Vetulonia (Jucker, no. 355 and Cristofani 1983, no. 96), Marsiliana d’Albegna (Cristofani 1983, no. 47) and Palestrina (Cristofani 1983, no.83).
Bibliography
Albizzati, C. And Stenico, A. 1952. Osservazioni su oggetti del VII sec a. C. Trovati nell’Ital;ia centrale, ‘’Acme’’ V, 3, pages 594-598.
Becatti, G. Oreficierie antiche dalle minoiche alle barbariche. Roma.
Cristofani, M. and Martelli, M. 1983. L`oro degli Etruschi. Novara.
Domenici, I. 1995. Oreficeria Etrusca al British Museum. Saggio di una revisione di una sezione del catalogo Marshall [unpublished thesis], Pavia.
Hackens, T. and Winkes, R. 1983. Gold Jewelry. Craft, Style and meaning from Mycenae to Costantinopolis. Louvain-la-Neuve.
Higgins, R. A. 1961. Greek and Roman Jewellery. London.
Karo, G. 1902. Le oreficierie di vetulonia, I-II, in G. Micali-G.Karo, Studi e Materiali di Archeologia e Numismatica, Firenze 1899-1902, pages 235-283 (I), pages 97-147b (II).
Pinza, G. 1915. Materiali per la etnologia antica toscano-laziale I, Milano.
Strøm, I. 1971. Problems concerning the Origin and early Development of the Etruscan Orientalizing Style. Odense.
- Location
- On display (G71/dc18)
- Acquisition date
- 1897
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1917,0601.1358
