Description:

Ancient Near East, Achaemenid Persian Empire, ca. 550 to 330 BCE. A heavy silver bracelet with rounded cuboid terminals and an applied silver design made to look like fine woven rope where the terminals meet the rest of the bracelet. Each terminal has an incised design of a grid with three-leafed plants in each quadrant on two sides, and, on a third side, a drilled hole. Size: 0.5" L x 3.45" W (1.3 cm x 8.8 cm); 4.1 oz (116.2 g).

The Achaemenid love of silver and gold was famous throughout the ancient world. Plato wrote of how the acquisition of gold and silver was considered a virtue while Alcibiades, another Athenian, and described the enormous wealth in gold and silver that the Persians had. In a society where flaunting wealth was a popular practice of the elite, this bracelet would have been a prized possession, demonstrating the high social status of its wearer. This piece probably ended its functional life as a grave good, placed into a tomb alongside other treasures, or it may have been left in a temple as a votive offering.

Provenance: Ex-Private Florida collection acquired in the 1980's

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#119247

  • Condition: Gracefully aged form, with a dark patina. One applied area under the terminal shows a small loss. Absolutely wearable!

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April 12, 2017 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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