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Minoan Jewellery
The jewellery of the Minoan civilization based on Bronze Age Crete demonstrates, as with other Minoan visual art forms, not only a sophisticated technological knowledge (in this case of metalwork) and an ingenuity of design but also a joy...
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Parure of Jewellery from the Carthage Treasure
Matching sets of jewellery (parures) are rare finds from the Late Roman Period. This set of a necklace and earrings combines rock emeralds, sapphires, and pearls threaded on gold wire. Approximately 50 years after this jewellery was made...
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Collection of Ptolemaic Jewellery
This opulent collection of Ptolemaic jewellery from Egypt probably belonged to a wealthy woman and was made between 225–175 BCE. The various pieces were made out of gold and are inlaid with a variety of precious stones. The collection...
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Mycenaean Gold Jewellery Pieces
Strings of gold beads in the form of rosettes, papyrus and lillies from Mycenae area (14th century BCE). Nafplio Archaeological Museum.
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Gold Jewellery, Mapungubwe
Gold beads and jewellery from a burial site at Mapungubwe, South Africa. 11-14th century CE. (Museum of Gems and Jewellery, Cape Town)
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Gold in Antiquity
Gold, chemical symbol Au (from the Latin aurum meaning 'shining dawn'), is a precious metal which has been used since antiquity in the production of jewellery, coinage, sculpture, vessels and as a decoration for buildings, monuments and statues...
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Carthaginian Art
The art of the Carthaginians was an eclectic mix of influences and styles, which included Egyptian motifs, Greek fashion, Phoenician gods, and Etruscan patterns. Precious metals, ivory, glass, terracotta, and stone were transformed into highly...
Definition
Amber in Antiquity
Amber, the fossilised resin of trees, was used throughout the ancient world for jewellery and decorative objects. The main source was the Baltic region where amber, known to mineralogists as succinite, was washed up onto beaches and easily...
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Celtic Brooches
Ancient and medieval Celtic cultures produced many forms of jewellery, and one distinctive category is their brooches, fibulae, and pins. Without zips and buttons, brooches were used to close items of clothing, to create a pleasing or fashionable...
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Ancient Celtic Torcs
In ancient Celtic cultures, torcs were a common form of jewellery and were made from bronze, copper, silver, and gold. Torcs were not just exquisite works of Celtic art but also identified the wearer’s status and perhaps were believed to...