Bracelet with central medallion, Hellenistic, 2nd century b.c.
Greek
Gold, glass
Technical Glossary
Greek
Gold, glass
Diam. 3 7/16 in. (8.7 cm)
Purchase, The Concordia Foundation Gift and Marguerite and Frank Cosgrove Jr. Fund, 2001 (2001.230)
The most distinctive feature of this bracelet or armlet is the treatment of the outer surfaces of the hoops, which are covered with a delicate network of filigree created by placing parallel rows of wire in a zigzag pattern and dotting the points of contact with granules. This unusual decoration is best paralleled in a few exceptional works from Thessaly. It is a rare forerunner of a popular kind of Roman bracelet featuring twisted hoops and hinged box settings decorated with gemstones.
