Important Hellenistic Necklace with Glass Eye- and Mosaic Beads

Culture: Eastern Greek

Period: 3rd-1st century B.C.

Material: Glass, Gold

Dimensions: 84 cm long

Price: 10 000 Euro

Ref: 2635

Provenance: Austrian private collection Prof. Josef Mairitsch (1938-1994). Acquired prior to 1970. Thence in the family estate. With a copy of the collection note.

Condition: Gold sheet on one side with dents and minimal missing spots. Some beads with weathering and small, ancient wear. Overall, a necklace with exclusively ancient, high-quality beads.

Description: Hellenistic necklace consisting of 89 pieces of high-quality and very large eye- and mosaic beads originating from the eastern Mediterranean Sea or Persia. The central pendant is formed by a bell-shaped gold sheet over a copper core with a three-row, fine hallmark decoration on the rim. It encloses a small, not visible eye bead and a very large blue bead with yellow eyes, which are framed in white and brown. This one alone is just over three centimetres in diameter. Above sits a mosaic bead with floral decoration of almost the same size. Above this bead the necklace splits up and eye- and mosaic beads follow in different sizes and colours. In between are 46 gold foil glass beads. Most of the pearls belong together. Modern threaded on a nylon string and ready to wear.