Phoenician glass head pendant
€1,800
available
Object number
AR3412C
| Object: |
Phoenician glass head pendant
|
| Material: |
Opaque glass with polychrome glass decorations.
|
| Period: |
5th century BC to 3rd century BC. Period of Persian dominance over the Phoenicians. |
| Description: |
Glass pendant in the shape of a face with a colourful hair band over the forehead and large eyes. The front is plastically modelled of green glass paste and the details on the head made of coloured glass. The back is flat and solid blue. A glass eyelet is melted on top.
|
| Background: |
Face beads or face pendants made of glass are typical of the art of the Eastern Mediterranean and especially of the Phoenicians. Known manufacturing centers were on the Levant coast, the Phoenician ancestral land, as well as in Carthage, Cyprus, and a smaller ancient factory was found in Rhodes. The pendants were probably made by pressing the hot glass into an open mold. The details on the front were then attached over a fire.
|
| Dimensions: |
21mm high, 12mm wide.
|
| Condition: |
Except for tiny chips, very good condition. Possibly inconspicuous restoration on the back.
|
| Provenance: |
Acquired by us on the British art market in 2022. Previously Canadian owned. Acquired in 1987 from the Canadian art dealer L'Art Ancien. We have a copy of the invoice.
|
| References: |
Cf. S. M. Goldstein, Pre-Roman and Early Roman Glass, p. 112, no. 227. Cf. E. M. Stern, B. Schlick-Nolte, Early Glass of the Ancient World, pp. 188f, no. 54. Cf. U. Liepmann, Glas der Antike, p. 124, no. 162. Cf. Metropolitan Museum of Art, acc. no. 17.194.721. |
| Literature: |
For an overview on ancient and antique beads we recommend L. Sherr Dubin, The History of Beads. A comprehensive work on the archaeology and history of the Phoenicians is S. Moscati, I Fenici. |
| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
|