Details

LOT 0047

Greek Floral Diadem

4TH CENTURY BC

7 1/2" (35 grams, 19cm).

A gold diadem comprising an undulating band with repoussé domes, applied cinquefoils, leaves and berries (hips); pierced finial lobes; probably representing the tundra rose (Dasiphora fruticosa).

Provenance

From the collection of a respected gentleman, assembled between 1965-2018.

Literature

See Despini, A. Greek Art. Ancient Gold Jewellery, Athens, 1996 for discussion.

Footnotes

Diadems in the Greek world are most often encountered in funerary contexts where an ornate sheet-gold band could be placed on the brow of the deceased as part of the preparation of the body for burial. The original forms of these mortuary ornaments were made of fabric but sheet-gold alternatives were adopted by the wealthier families. The earliest examples bore embossed geometric ornament, while gold rosettes were adopted from contemporary fashion where they were applied to fabric headbands (stephane). In time, the repertoire of plants represented expanded to include lotus blossoms, palmettes and other ornamental flora.

CONDITION