Age of Adornment
October 3, 2005
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| A Greek gold necklace, ca. 330 to 300 B.C., with suspended seed
and amphorae pendants that sold at auction for 127,000 in 2001. Courtesy Christie's New York; |
Few tangibles throughout the ages have encompassed the ideals of luxury living as completely as jewelry. Since the beginning of civilization, jewelry has functioned chiefly as a symbol of prestige, status and visible wealth. From ancient Egypt and the Near East to the Greek and Roman Empires, the impulse to adorn oneself is as primal as aspirations of immortality. Rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings made of gold, silver, bronze and gemstones were so valued, they were buried in royal and aristocratic tombs to ensure status and material comfort in the afterlife.
Collected by modern-day nobility—such as J. Pierpont Morgan, whose medieval treasures can be seen at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who favored Greek rings—the exquisite craftsmanship and timeless elegance of ancient jewelry continues to captivate.
New York businessman Donald Simon has been collecting ancient Near Eastern, Greek and Roman jewelry for 50 years. He is quick to note that his obsession should not be mistaken for a feminine leaning because, after all, both men and women wore jewelry in antiquity. Simon, however, prefers to display his riches in his Upper East Side home and to periodically bequeath pieces as gifts to his wife and daughters. “I’m a history buff and I love being able to trace history through ancient jewelry, especially earrings, because there are so many diverse styles,” he says. “I also appreciate the incredibly detailed workmanship. These objects are really miniature sculptures.”
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| Gold-and-garnet amphorae earrings from the Hellenistic period at Antiquarium. Noel Allum Photography |
Though ancient jewelry has always claimed a loyal cadre of collectors, only within the past two decades have these timeless trinkets become more widely recognized as wearable works of art. “Many people don’t even realize they can buy ancient jewelry. They think antiquities are only in museums, and therefore inaccessible,” says Joseph Coplin of New York’s Antiquarium, specialists in ancient jewelry. “Ancient jewelry is unique because it has a real mystery and romance. It appeals to people who appreciate historical handmade objects and want to look different wearing them. It is both ornament and art.”
Perhaps more than anything else, the allure of ancient jewelry lies in “those loveliest secrets and wondrous methods of the great art of goldsmithing,” wrote the famous Renaissance sculptor and goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini. The best preserved and most prevalent ancient jewelry was made of gold, the material long considered the ultimate expression of rank and beauty. Though the ancients also wore silver and bronze jewelry, fewer wearable examples have survived because these metals oxidize and deteriorate over time. From before 4000 B.C. through the early Middle Ages, most better-quality ancient jewelry was crafted of 22- to 24-karat gold, which is characterized by a warm, rich yellow tone.
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| A rare Roman bronze marriage ring with a painted bezel, ca. 2nd century A.D. photography by Charlotte Grant/Christie's London. |
Gold jewelry from ancient Egypt and the Near East (the region extending from
the eastern Mediterranean to Afghanistan, and encompassing Mesopotamian and
Eurasian cultures such as the Scythians) is among the earliest and most rare on
the market. Popular designs such as portraits of pharaohs and gods, snakes and
lotus flowers, each bearing symbolic significance, were created using a variety
of techniques, including filigree, granulation, the hammering of sheet gold and
the inlaying of colored glass and gemstones such as lapis lazuli, carnelian,
hematite and agate.
Also common were beaded necklaces, which often were made
with faience (a type of glazed glass) and colored glass—as well as amulets that
purportedly possessed magical, protective powers. The scarab or beetle amulet,
which was either cast in gold or sculpted in clay and gemstones, became an
enduring design motif that spread throughout the ancient world. When carved on
the underside with the owner’s name, scarabs often appeared as swivel components
on rings that functioned as personal seals for stamping property and documents.
There has always been a demand for Egyptian jewelry, according to G. Max Bernheimer, international head of antiquities at Christie’s New York, which has organized annual December auctions devoted to ancient jewelry since 1999. Bernheimer notes that these pieces, whether gold rings, bracelets, amulets or faience necklaces, often sell far above their estimates, particularly when they are in good condition. A rare Egyptian gold seal ring from 1353 to 1335 B.C. displaying the cartouche of Pharaoh Akhenaton sold for $354,700 at Christie’s New York in December 2003, quadrupling its presale estimate. In that same sale, an Egyptian snake bracelet of punched and chased gold, 304 to 30 B.C., brought $50,190. An Egyptian gold and cloisonné Ba-bird amulet from 750 to 525 B.C. sold for $103,600—more than four times its estimate—at Bonhams auction house in London in July 2004. Beaded faience necklaces range in price from several hundred to several thousand dollars.
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| A Celtic gold warrior fibula, notable for its technical virtuosity and dynamic composition, sold at Christie’s London in April 2001 for $1.58 million—the highest price ever paid at auction for ancient jewelry. Photo Courtesy Christie's New York. |
Etruscan and Greek gold jewelry, made during the first millennium B.C., is coveted for its aesthetic elegance and technical sophistication. Etruscan jewelers are best known for designs executed with minute granulation (soldered gold beads), while Greek artisans excelled at creating jewelry that incorporated intricate filigree (applied thin gold wire) and sculptural animal and mythological figures, as well as exquisite intaglio- and cameo-carved gemstones that included garnets, carnelians and amethysts. Woven gold chains and mesh straps with hanging pendants were also characteristic of classical and Hellenistic Greek jewelry. Greek women often wore many of these necklaces together at once.
A stunning Greek gold strap necklace, ca. 330 to 300 B.C. with suspended beechnut, seed and amphorae pendants, sold for $127,000 at Christie’s New York in December 2001. Other auction standouts have included an East Greek gold and carnelian scarab finger ring, from the Archaic period in late 6th century B.C., that sold for $35,850 at Christie’s New York in December 2004. A pair of gold earrings with pendants cast as the god Eros, from the Hellenistic period ca. late 4th to early 3rd century B.C., brought $23,900 in that same sale. Both of these pieces more than quadrupled their presale estimates.
“With Etruscan and Greek jewelry, you see a perfection of design and technique that has not been equaled since that time,” says New York antiquities dealer Erdal Dere of Fortuna Fine Arts. “Many of the same techniques, as well as classical motifs such as palmettes, rosettes and depictions of gods, continued into the Roman era, when increased wealth and a growing market for jewelry contributed to a profusion of styles. But Roman workmanship generally was not as sophisticated as that of the Greeks, so Roman jewelry tends to be less ornate.”
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| Photography by Rick Young. Above: A pair of bow fibulae (garment pins) made of gilt silver and niello with garnets from the Gothic era (5th to 6th century B.C.), available for $450,000 at Ariadne Galleries. Below: Greek gold necklace with acorn pendents, ca. 5th century B.C., for sale at Ariadne Galleries for $175,000. |
Roman jewelers were noted for their use of pearls and colored glass beads; intaglio- and cameo-carved gemstones; and opus interrasile, an openwork technique that involved perforating a gold sheet to create a lacelike effect. Rings were particularly prized during Roman times as personal seals, tokens of betrothal and symbols of social status. Roman men and women often wore several rings at a time. In fact, the Romans were so smitten with jewelry that laws were passed limiting excessive ornamentation.
Judging from recent auction prices, the luster of Roman jewelry has not faded. At Sotheby’s London in October 2003, a buyer snapped up a Roman gold bracelet, ca. 2nd to 3rd century A.D., for $52,728—double its estimate. A ca. 2nd to 3rd century A.D. amethyst engraved with a standing figure of Nike and set in a later Roman gold ring sold at Bonhams in London in May 2003 for $25,600, 10 times its estimate.
But you do not have to spend tens of thousands of dollars on ancient adornments. Roman jewelry is generally priced lower than more rare Egyptian and Greek jewelry, because it is more plentiful on the market. Many fine Roman rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings can be purchased for several thousand dollars or less. As with all ancient jewelry, examples with more complex designs, large numbers of gemstones and more intricate carving usually collect the highest prices. Gemstones with carvings of popular gods such as Eros, Nike and Aphrodite and emperors such as Hadrian and Augustus, also command a premium. Condition and provenance (which is often difficult to trace because so few records survive) also affect value. At Christie’s New York last December, a Roman onyx cameo portrait of the Emperor Claudius, ca. 41 to 54 A.D., which once belonged to the Fourth Duke of Marlborough, sold for $321,000, setting an auction record for an ancient cameo.
As with other antiquities, authenticity should be the paramount consideration when buying ancient jewelry. “There are a lot of fakes sold as tourist trinkets, particularly in the Near East and Italy,” says James Ede of Charles Ede Antiquities gallery in London. “There are differences in the metals, the patina, the tool marks and production methods. For all these reasons, make sure you’re buying from a reputable dealer.” The National Association of Dealers in Ancient and Oriental and Primitive Art and the International Association of Dealers in Ancient Art are both reliable dealer sources.
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| A Roman onyx cameo portrait of the Emperor Claudius, ca. 41 to 54 A.D., that
once belonged to the Fourth Duke of Marlborough and sold for
$321,000—setting an auction record for an ancient cameo. Photo Courtesy Christie's New York. |
With the decline of the Roman Empire, Byzantine jewelers adapted their own unique artistry to a rich, millennia-old ornamental tradition, producing dazzling baubles characterized by colorful enamels, repousse, openwork and Christian iconography. Lesser known among the vast array of available ancient jewelry are the striking creations left by the Celts, Goths, Franks and other tribal cultures who inhabited Europe from the first millennium B.C. through the early Middle Ages. Their nonclassical aesthetic found expression in everything from bronze brooches and belt buckles inlaid with colored glass and stones in abstract geometric designs to bronze, gold and silver fibulae (pins used to fasten clothing) sculpted in stylized human and animal forms. A Celtic gold warrior fibula, notable for its technical virtuosity and dynamic composition, sold at Christie’s South Kensington in April 2001 for $1.58 million, the highest price ever paid at auction for an ancient jewelry piece.
Masterpieces aside, connoisseurs say one of the best-kept secrets about
ancient jewelry is that it is extremely undervalued given its undeniable beauty
and historical cachet. “Why pay steep prices for contemporary jewelry and
diamonds, when you can spend less on a beautiful piece of history that was worn
and prized thousands of years ago?” says Simon. Indeed, the majority of jewelry
crafted throughout the ancient world can be purchased for about $1,000 to
$10,000. And should you decide to trade up or sell your acquisitions years from
now, chances are you will see a sizable return on your investment. “Over the
past decade, prices have more than doubled for the best examples,” says Torkom
Demirjian of New York’s Ariadne Galleries. “But the real value of ancient
jewelry lies in the magical delight it brings to its wearer. As in ancient
times, these works of art are luxurious marks of distinction—the ultimate design
statement.”
Antiquarium
212.734.9776
Ariadne Galleries
212.772.3388
Bonhams
+44.207.393.3900
www.bonhams.com
Charles Ede
Antiquities
+44.207.493.4944
www.charlesede.com
Christie’s New
York
212.636.2000
www.christies.com
Christie’s
London,
South Kensington
+44.207.839.9060
www.christies.com
Faustus Ancient
Art
& Jewelry
+44.207.930.1864
www.faustuslondon.com
Fortuna Fine
Arts
212.794.7272
Sotheby’s London
+44.207.293.5000
www.sothebys.com
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