Collection of Ptolemaic Jewelry
Greek, from Egypt , 220-100 B.C.
In a display case in a darkened room, gold jewelry gleams with a brilliance that belies its age. These pieces were probably made in Alexandria , Egypt , when it was under the rule of the Greeks, and so the design of the jewelry is Greek, not Egyptian.
The label reads: This jewelry surely was the prized possession of a woman of high rank. The pieces may have been made by goldsmiths in Alexandria , Egypt . Signs of repair show that they were actually worn and not made for dedication.
Installed in the display case are:
Pairs of Armlets and Bracelets
Made of gold
Hairnet
Made of gold, garnets, and glass paste
Rings
Made of gold and carnelian
A Diadem
Made of gold, garnet, carnelian, glass paste, bone or pearl, and moonstone
And other assorted jewelry -
- There is a 7-inch long chain of 12 golden beads shaped like cowrie shells.
- Nearby it is a necklace of twenty-eight beads of emerald, carnelian, amethyst and gold.
- Two pairs of gold oval hoop earrings, nearly one inch high, are embellished with antelope heads; the eyes would have been filled with tiny gems. The hoops have been wrapped with a smooth gold wire.
- Finally, a pair of gold pendant earrings have winged Eros figures hanging like mini-sculptures from stylized rosettes.
The pair of snake armlets are each worn around the upper arm and measure three inches in diameter. Above them are a pair of bracelets for the wrist, measuring 2 inches in diameter.
Both pairs fasten with a copper pin at the back but they differ in that the armlets are made in the form of a single coiled snake, while the bracelets are formed from two coiled snakes.
The label reads: As early as the 500s B.C., bracelets and armlets in the shape of coiled snakes were quite popular in Egypt . They were worn in pairs. The bracelets shown here each consist of two snakes; the armlets are fashioned as single snakes.
The next piece is a gold hairnet, measuring about 8 inches long with its tassel and 3 inches wide. It covered a bun at the back of a woman's head and is elaborately decorated with chains, filigree, and spool-shaped and garnet beads. The net itself is of spool beads and cross chains accented with tiny masks of the god Dionysos. Its medallion contains a bust of Aphrodite, the goddess of Love, in high relief. Her son Eros is a winged baby perched on her left shoulder.
The label reads: This intricate piece was worn over a bun on the back of the head. The roundel depicts Aphrodite, goddess of love, and her son Eros. Although Aphrodite is a goddess, the portraitlike features of the face suggest that the woman represented may actually be Arsinoë III, queen of Egypt (reigned 217-205/4 B.C.).
Next, there are two gold rings inset with carnelian gems. A figure of a goddess has been carved into the surface of each gem. One depicts Artemis, the goddess of the hunt; and the other the goddess of Fortune. Both gems are oval in shape and about 2 inches long.
The label reads: Each ring is set with a gem engraved with a mythological figure. One depicts Artemis, goddess of the hunt, with a deer. The other represents Tyche, goddess of good fortune, with a staff and a double cornucopia, a symbol of the Ptolemaic queens.
Next is a gold diadem, measuring nearly seven inches in diameter. It is decorated with tassels of delicate chains that end in gemstone beads. These would have dangled on the wearer's forehead and temples.
The label reads: This diadem encircled the forehead; the tassels embellished with beads hung down in front. The long elements that decorate each side of the diadem are hard to identify. They may be torches whose flames are formed of twisted wire. In the center is a "Herakles," or square, knot that was originally inlaid with garnets.
The next piece is a gold hairnet, measuring about 8 inches long with its tassel and 3 inches wide. It covered a bun at the back of a woman's head and is elaborately decorated with chains, filigree, and spool-shaped and garnet beads. The net itself is of spool beads and cross chains accented with tiny masks of the god Dionysos. Its medallion contains a bust of Aphrodite, the goddess of Love, in high relief. Her son Eros is a winged baby perched on her left shoulder.
The label reads: This intricate piece was worn over a bun on the back of the head. The roundel depicts Aphrodite, goddess of love, and her son Eros. Although Aphrodite is a goddess, the portraitlike features of the face suggest that the woman represented may actually be Arsinoë III, queen of Egypt (reigned 217-205/4 B.C.).
Next, there are two gold rings inset with carnelian gems. A figure of a goddess has been carved into the surface of each gem. One depicts Artemis, the goddess of the hunt; and the other the goddess of Fortune. Both gems are oval in shape and about 2 inches long.
The label reads: Each ring is set with a gem engraved with a mythological figure. One depicts Artemis, goddess of the hunt, with a deer. The other represents Tyche, goddess of good fortune, with a staff and a double cornucopia, a symbol of the Ptolemaic queens.
Next is a gold diadem, measuring nearly seven inches in diameter. It is decorated with tassels of delicate chains that end in gemstone beads. These would have dangled on the wearer's forehead and temples.
The label reads: This diadem encircled the forehead; the tassels embellished with beads hung down in front. The long elements that decorate each side of the diadem are hard to identify. They may be torches whose flames are formed of twisted wire. In the center is a "Herakles," or square, knot that was originally inlaid with garnets.
In a display case in a darkened room, gold jewelry gleams with a brilliance that belies its age. These pieces were probably made in Alexandria , Egypt , when it was under the rule of the Greeks, and so the design of the jewelry is Greek, not Egyptian.
The label reads: This jewelry surely was the prized possession of a woman of high rank. The pieces may have been made by goldsmiths in Alexandria , Egypt . Signs of repair show that they were actually worn and not made for dedication.
Installed in the display case are:
Pairs of Armlets and Bracelets
Made of gold
Hairnet
Made of gold, garnets, and glass paste
Rings
Made of gold and carnelian
A Diadem
Made of gold, garnet, carnelian, glass paste, bone or pearl, and moonstone
And other assorted jewelry -
- There is a 7-inch long chain of 12 golden beads shaped like cowrie shells.
- Nearby it is a necklace of twenty-eight beads of emerald, carnelian, amethyst and gold.
- Two pairs of gold oval hoop earrings, nearly one inch high, are embellished with antelope heads; the eyes would have been filled with tiny gems. The hoops have been wrapped with a smooth gold wire.
- Finally, a pair of gold pendant earrings have winged Eros figures hanging like mini-sculptures from stylized rosettes.
The pair of snake armlets are each worn around the upper arm and measure three inches in diameter. Above them are a pair of bracelets for the wrist, measuring 2 inches in diameter.
Both pairs fasten with a copper pin at the back but they differ in that the armlets are made in the form of a single coiled snake, while the bracelets are formed from two coiled snakes.
The label reads: As early as the 500s B.C., bracelets and armlets in the shape of coiled snakes were quite popular in Egypt . They were worn in pairs. The bracelets shown here each consist of two snakes; the armlets are fashioned as single snakes.
The next piece is a gold hairnet, measuring about 8 inches long with its tassel and 3 inches wide. It covered a bun at the back of a woman's head and is elaborately decorated with chains, filigree, and spool-shaped and garnet beads. The net itself is of spool beads and cross chains accented with tiny masks of the god Dionysos. Its medallion contains a bust of Aphrodite, the goddess of Love, in high relief. Her son Eros is a winged baby perched on her left shoulder.
The label reads: This intricate piece was worn over a bun on the back of the head. The roundel depicts Aphrodite, goddess of love, and her son Eros. Although Aphrodite is a goddess, the portraitlike features of the face suggest that the woman represented may actually be Arsinoë III, queen of Egypt (reigned 217-205/4 B.C.).
Next, there are two gold rings inset with carnelian gems. A figure of a goddess has been carved into the surface of each gem. One depicts Artemis, the goddess of the hunt; and the other the goddess of Fortune. Both gems are oval in shape and about 2 inches long.
The label reads: Each ring is set with a gem engraved with a mythological figure. One depicts Artemis, goddess of the hunt, with a deer. The other represents Tyche, goddess of good fortune, with a staff and a double cornucopia, a symbol of the Ptolemaic queens.
Next is a gold diadem, measuring nearly seven inches in diameter. It is decorated with tassels of delicate chains that end in gemstone beads. These would have dangled on the wearer's forehead and temples.
The label reads: This diadem encircled the forehead; the tassels embellished with beads hung down in front. The long elements that decorate each side of the diadem are hard to identify. They may be torches whose flames are formed of twisted wire. In the center is a "Herakles," or square, knot that was originally inlaid with garnets.
The next piece is a gold hairnet, measuring about 8 inches long with its tassel and 3 inches wide. It covered a bun at the back of a woman's head and is elaborately decorated with chains, filigree, and spool-shaped and garnet beads. The net itself is of spool beads and cross chains accented with tiny masks of the god Dionysos. Its medallion contains a bust of Aphrodite, the goddess of Love, in high relief. Her son Eros is a winged baby perched on her left shoulder.
The label reads: This intricate piece was worn over a bun on the back of the head. The roundel depicts Aphrodite, goddess of love, and her son Eros. Although Aphrodite is a goddess, the portraitlike features of the face suggest that the woman represented may actually be Arsinoë III, queen of Egypt (reigned 217-205/4 B.C.).
Next, there are two gold rings inset with carnelian gems. A figure of a goddess has been carved into the surface of each gem. One depicts Artemis, the goddess of the hunt; and the other the goddess of Fortune. Both gems are oval in shape and about 2 inches long.
The label reads: Each ring is set with a gem engraved with a mythological figure. One depicts Artemis, goddess of the hunt, with a deer. The other represents Tyche, goddess of good fortune, with a staff and a double cornucopia, a symbol of the Ptolemaic queens.
Next is a gold diadem, measuring nearly seven inches in diameter. It is decorated with tassels of delicate chains that end in gemstone beads. These would have dangled on the wearer's forehead and temples.
The label reads: This diadem encircled the forehead; the tassels embellished with beads hung down in front. The long elements that decorate each side of the diadem are hard to identify. They may be torches whose flames are formed of twisted wire. In the center is a "Herakles," or square, knot that was originally inlaid with garnets.
| © Art Education for the Blind Site Credits Contact |
