The openwork [opus interrasile] gold bracelets from Syria, Tartus. Dated to 4th century.
Dimensions: 3.4 x 10.5 cm [Saint Louis]
Height: 3.8 cm Diameter: 10 cm. Diam. inner: 6.8 cm to 7.3 cm [Berlin]
Saint Louis Art Museum and Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Antikensammlung
“Originally part of a set (with a matching bracelet and bell, now in Berlin), this bracelet likely functioned as a betrothal or bridal gift to a woman of high social standing. The central section contains a Greek inscription that reads: “Pretty one, wear [it] in good health.””
Berlin: “Bracelet with openwork patterns; In the middle zone there is a Greek inscription: “Use it happily all your life”.”
“A letter dated January 4, 1922, from the dealer Kouchakji Frères indicates that the bracelet was excavated by 1913 from Tartous, Mount Lebanon, Syria. The excavator kept the bracelet in his collection until his death, after which Kouchakji Frères purchased it from the excavator’s heirs [SLAM document files].”