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Lot Essay
The eyes and chest of the butterfly pendant are inlaid with garnet and the body is inlaid with sardonyx. The wings consist of glass inlays including a band of wave pattern. The long chain is woven from wire-like cord terminating with profiled tubes with filigree rod ornaments.
For similar butterfly necklace pendants see B. Deppert-Lippitz, Griechischer Goldschmuck, Mainz am Rhein, 1985, pp. 283-295. Deppert-Lippitz mentions that in the Late Hellenistic period a stylized butterfly "enjoyed a certain popularity". One of the examples now in the Walters Art Gallery (inv. 57385⁄6), also comes from Olbia. Deppert-Lippitz goes on the describe a butterfly which is remarkably similar to the above example: the head formed from a heart shaped garnet - typical of later Hellenistic times; the body of oval garnet and striped agate; green and blue cellular enamel covering the wings; the antennae and legs made of gold wire onto which small oriental earls were originally strung.
The long complex loop-in-loop gold chain, ending with cylindrical terminals with hook and loop clasp, dates to the Hellenistic period, but is likely earlier than the butterfly pendant.
For similar butterfly necklace pendants see B. Deppert-Lippitz, Griechischer Goldschmuck, Mainz am Rhein, 1985, pp. 283-295. Deppert-Lippitz mentions that in the Late Hellenistic period a stylized butterfly "enjoyed a certain popularity". One of the examples now in the Walters Art Gallery (inv. 57385⁄6), also comes from Olbia. Deppert-Lippitz goes on the describe a butterfly which is remarkably similar to the above example: the head formed from a heart shaped garnet - typical of later Hellenistic times; the body of oval garnet and striped agate; green and blue cellular enamel covering the wings; the antennae and legs made of gold wire onto which small oriental earls were originally strung.
The long complex loop-in-loop gold chain, ending with cylindrical terminals with hook and loop clasp, dates to the Hellenistic period, but is likely earlier than the butterfly pendant.