1991.75.47, Necklace Greece, ca. 4th-1st century B.C.E., gold, coral

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

This necklace illustrates a fundamental change in Greek jewelry during the 2nd century BCE: colored effects were no longer applied only to enhance naturalistic decorative motifs and details such as the petals of a flower or the eye of an animal, they were now used in their own right. The bright colors of precious stones were set off against the warms shades of the gold. Although naturalistic motifs continued to be used, they were no longer the preeminent factor in Greek jewelry. The abstract combination of different materials and colors became more and more important. Ancient Greek necklaces were usually strung on perishable strings. For this reason, the proper arrangement of the different elements is often uncertain.

Here thirty-three large globular coral beads are arranged in an alternating order with thirty-three small biconical gold beads. A ribbed tube at both ends of the necklace is used as a finial. The elements are on a modern thread. Ancient coral beads are extremely rare, as they preserve poorly. Biconical beads are characteristic for the Archaic period.

Adapted from

Barbara Deppert-Lippitz, Ancient Gold Jewelry at the Dallas Museum of Art (Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art in association with the University of Washington Press, 1996), 65; 137.
DMA unpublished material.

NOTES

updated provenance and geo x refs in TMS
added publication as a text entry in TMS
DMA unpublished material = curatorial remarks

Catalogue essays

Greek Jewelry

Gold in the Ancient Mediterranean

Ancient Gold Jewelry: The Spread of Imagery

Artist/designers

Cultures

Geography

Process/materials

Greek Gold

Stones and Beads in the Ancient Mediterranean

Granulation

Soldering

Plain and Decorative Wire

Historical periods

Aegean and Greek Chronology

Individuals

Subject terms

RELATED OBJECTS

PROVENANCE

Until 1989: probably Collection of Dr. Athos Moretti, Switzerland [1]

1989-1991: Collection of Robert Haber, New York, New York [2]

From 1991: Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc.

[1] based on existing provenance entry in TMS

[2] See printed email exchange between Andrew Oliver and Anne Bromberg, dated August 3, 2012, found in Collections Record Object file 1991.75.53

AUDIO ASSETS

VIDEO ASSETS

IMAGE ASSETS

WEB RESOURCES

ARCHIVAL RESOURCES

FUN FACTS

TEACHING IDEAS

RULES

Apply to objects where number equals 1991.75.47

General Description

This necklace illustrates a fundamental change in Greek jewelry during the 2nd century BCE: colored effects were no longer applied only to enhance naturalistic decorative motifs and details such as the petals of a flower or the eye of an animal, they were now used in their own right. The bright colors of precious stones were set off against the warms shades of the gold. Although naturalistic motifs continued to be used, they were no longer the preeminent factor in Greek jewelry. The abstract combination of different materials and colors became more and more important. Ancient Greek necklaces were usually strung on perishable strings. For this reason, the proper arrangement of the different elements is often uncertain.

Here thirty-three large globular coral beads are arranged in an alternating order with thirty-three small biconical gold beads. A ribbed tube at both ends of the necklace is used as a finial. The elements are on a modern thread. Ancient coral beads are extremely rare, as they preserve poorly. Biconical beads are characteristic for the Archaic period.

Adapted from

Barbara Deppert-Lippitz, Ancient Gold Jewelry at the Dallas Museum of Art (Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art in association with the University of Washington Press, 1996), 65; 137.
DMA unpublished material.

Fun Facts

Archival Resources

Web Resources

Notes