A GREEK GOLD AND GARNET NECKLACE

Property of Mr. Dennis Smith

Details

A GREEK GOLD AND GARNET NECKLACE
Late 3rd-early 3nd Century B.C.

Composed of three rows of loop-in-loop chain threaded through sets of three joined hollow beads with wire rims at the openings, with an oval box-like centerpiece set with a cabochon garnet, beaded wire along the bezel and at the rim, suspended along the length are twenty-nine filigree rosettes, each supporting a tri-lobed beech-nut pendant with beaded wire above and granulation at their tips, and at each end are the triangular box-like terminals, both set with pear-shaped garnets and ornamented with filigree
10 5/8in. (27cm.) long

Provenance

Private Collection in Scandanavia
James R. Ogden & Sons, Ltd., London

Lot Essay

The strap necklace with beech-nut or other pendants became popular in Greece during the 4th Century B.C. The proportions of the present example differs considerable from these earlier necklaces, but is closely paralleled by a necklace found over 150 years ago at Vulci, now in Berlin, pl. 7.6 in Greifenhagen, Schmuckarbeiten in Edelmetall, Vol. II. The Berlin necklace is also constructed of loop-in-loop chain linked with beads, which is unusual for strap necklaces. The same technique was employed for the radiating bands of an early 2nd Century B.C. openwork hairnet from the Schimmel Collection, said to be from Egypt, now in the Metropolitan Museum, no. 197 in Williams and Odgen, Greek Gold.