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Necklace and Pendant with Aphrodite Anadyomene

7th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
A large piece of valuable lapis lazuli mimics a shell containing a representation of Aphrodite, the classical goddess of beauty, arranging her hair and wearing jewelry. Her appearance on a woman’s necklace demonstrates the continued resonance of pre-Christian mythology well into the Byzantine and early Islamic periods.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Necklace and Pendant with Aphrodite Anadyomene
  • Date: 7th century
  • Geography: Made in Eastern Mediterranean
  • Medium: Gold, lapis lazuli, garnet ( ? ), and rock crystal
  • Dimensions: Height of pendant without short chains: 1 3/4 in. (4.5 cm); l. of chain: 32 11/16 in. (83 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork
  • Credit Line: Byzantine Collection, Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C. (BZ.1928.6)
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters