THREE CELTIC GOLD BEADS

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

Details

THREE CELTIC GOLD BEADS
Circa 2nd Century B.C.

Including a spherical bead, bisected by three filligree beaded wire bands, each hemishpere with five raised ornamental human heads radiating from the suspension hole, forming a stylized rosette, with raised bosses below, the entire surface filled with filligree and granulation; together with a wheel-shaped bead, the ribbed wheel with a two filligree beaded wires along the radius, with four tubular spokes with filligree beaded or plain wires at the outer join, each side of the hub, which is pierced for suspension, rimmed with two beaded, partially beaded or plain wires; and a tapering, tubular bead divided into three zones by bands of filligree wire, each zone with filligree zigzag interpsersed with granulation
1 3/8in. (3.5cm.) long for the tubular bead (3)

Lot Essay

The style of the filligree and granulation suggests that the Celts had learned these techniques from their Greek and Thracian neighbors to the south. A hoard of similar beads, perhaps from the same workshop, was found at Szazd-Regoy in Hungary. For this group, see p. 354 in Moscati et al,The Celts.