CIRCA 4TH CENTURY B.C.

These elegant Celtic torques are each formed of two parts, with the smaller removable section fitted to the main loop with two mortise-and-tenon joins. The lower half of the ring has been inlaid with red enamel, transforming the basic metal torque into an opulent necklace demonstrating Celtic craftsmanship. Torques were worn by both sexes and were a symbol of divinity or high rank as well as serving as a talisman. For a similar example on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, see accession no. 17.194.1919 in Gallery 301 Late Roman and Early Byzantine Secular Objects (North Gallery).