Sarmatian disc brooches with pendants. Notes

Fibula-brooch from barrow 1 Psenafa (outskirts of Maikop), Republic Adygea
[Yuri Prokopenko]
3rd-2nd C BCE
Diam. disc 4.15 cm, length with pendants 16.3 cm

“fibula-brooch with four figurines of animals (rams or horses?) and pendants in the form of crescents and sun disks on chains, discovered in the sanctuary. A chalcedony insert has been preserved in its center, while stones from the other four castes have been lost. For the production of this product, various jewelry techniques were used – filigree, granulation, filigree. Presumably, this product goes back to the Colchis school of jewelry art and has a number of artistic parallels among the products found both in the South and North Caucasus. These are a brooch with animal figurines from Vanya, a randomly found fibula-brooch from Karachay-Cherkessia, now kept in the Stavropol Museum, and a fibula from a private collection in England, presumably originating from the Black Sea region. Fibula-brooch from Psenafa, subjected to deliberate ritual damage, can be preliminarily dated to the 3rd-2nd centuries BCE”

More >> https://colorsandstones.eu/2023/04/28/psenatha

Auction description:
“PONTIC FIBULA. Rare fibula formed of a disc to which are attached chains adorned with plates. The disc, cut from gold leaf, is divided into two circular areas separated by a plain thread. In the center is a hemisphere covered with fine granulations surrounded by meshed triangles. The outer zone is adorned with six small hemispheres in alternating mesh of pairs of filigree threads in S, three of which are circled. A pearl thread covers the border. The lower edge is fitted with eight rings to which are attached braided chains ending in heart-shaped plates edged with S-shaped threads with granulations at the ends. Each plate supports two braided chains (one lacunar), each ending with a disc in thin gold leaf. Vertical pin on the back side
Pontic Steppe, second half of the 2nd century BCE
H: 12.5 cm. Weight: 40 g
British collection.
This fibula, with pendants hanging from chains and a vertical attachment on the reverse, belongs to a rare type, known exclusively from Sarmatian burials in the Kuban region, dated to the second half of the 2nd century BC. The Kurganinsk tomb and No. 177 of the Stanitsa Tenginskaya necropolis provided the closest parallels.”

Second time auctioned in 2021 by TimeLine Auctions Ltd. London, UK

“2nd-1st century BC. A substantial gold disc brooch with chains and pendants; the brooch a sheet-gold disc with beaded gold wire rim surrounding three bosses with granulated ornament and three bosses with granules each set within a beaded filigree hoop; tapering pin to the reverse; interstitial applied filigree ornament of granules and beaded filigree scrolls; beaded filigree ring surrounding triangular granule clusters, central boss with similar clusters to the lower body and granulation above; eight applied loops to the lower rim of the brooch, from each a trichinopoly chain supporting a lobed plaque with applied filigree and granules, two loops to the lower edge and from each loop a short chain with sheet-gold disc finial; mounted in a custom-made display box. Dr. Adams, N. edn., Masterpieces of Eurasian Art, London, 2008. Formerly with Pierre Bergé & Associés, Paris, Archéologie, 30 May, 2015, lot 177 (16,000 / 18,000 euros); previously in an English collection; accompanied by a ten page examination report by Dr. habil Mikhail Treister dated 14 December 2007; an independent specialist report and valuation by graduate gemmologist and jewellery expert Anna Rogers, GIA GG, BA, Gem-A, ref. no.168725/07/12/2020; copies of the relevant pages from Masterpieces of Ancient Eurasian Art where this piece is published; and a copy of the relevant Pierre Bergé & Associés catalogue pages; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no. 10352-168725.”