Gold medallion / pendant with a black-green glass “stone”.
Diameter of the gold plate: 4.3 cm. Diam. of the stone: 2.5 cm. Finding place: unknown.
Römisch-Germanische Museum, Köln; Inv. No.: D 69.
“The Greeks were the Romans’ teachers in all things artistic. Greek artistic taste persisted well into the imperial period, particularly in the workshops of the Eastern Mediterranean, from which this decorative plate likely originated. The golden frame for the large black-green glass stone is decorated with intricate ornaments made of beaded gold wire, gold beads, and blossoms. A wreath of enamel or stone inlays, of which only the settings remain, surrounded the center. In the heyday of Greek goldsmithing, however, a glass imitation of a gemstone of this size would not have been used. This is more a sign of the later origin of the piece of jewelry, when glass became popular as a jewelry material. At that time, although the old techniques of craftsmanship were still masterfully mastered, the balance between form, material quality, and labor was neglected in favor of the greatest possible decorative effect.”
Source: Kölner Römer-Illustrierte. Römisch-Germanisches Museum der Stadt Köln [Hrsg.] Römisch-Germanisches Museum 1974
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