Hellenistic Gold Diadem

Culture: Greek

Period: 4th-3rd century B.C.

Material: Gold

Dimensions: 41.3 cm long

Price: 14 000 Euro

Ref: 2448

Provenance: New York private collection, acquired at the Edward H. Merrin gallery New York in March 1981.

Condition: Except for the connecting clasps a complete diadem. Unrestored.

Description: Large, completely preserved diadem of hammered gold sheet, consisting of 15 pieces. In the centre a round gold sheet with the relief head of Helios and encircling halos. Above and below two separately worked out elements, each with three leaves or rays. Left and right of the Helios, worn above the forehead, two large gold sheets with a central rosette. Next to each of them a circular gold sheet with a relief head with a halo, possibly again to be interpreted as Helios. On the sides again a smaller gold sheet, each with a rosette and a smaller relief of Helios respectively. The finale on the right composes a triangularly tapering gold sheet with an eyelet. Set against it is a triangular gold sheet with a hook for closing the diadem. The individual pieces are pierced on the sides and attached to each other with clasps in ancient times. Today the pieces are connected with hardly visible modern wire, and for stabilisation reasons mounted on a plexiglass ring for presentation. Mounted.