Gold pendant, with a coin of Constantine the Great
Gold pendant in the form of an engrailed hexagon. In the centre of the pendant is a double solidus of Constantine the Great: on the obverse, a bust of Constantine to left wearing a radiate diadem and cuirass and paludamentum, right hand upraised; around the bust, a Latin inscription; on the reverse, two confronted laureate busts of Constantine II and Crispus, both wearing imperial costume and holding eagle-topped sceptres; around and below them, a Latin inscription. In each angle of the hexagon is a bust in high relief: from top left moving clockwise: female bust with elaborate coiffure looking to right; female bust looking to left; bearded bust looking to left; female bust looking to left; bust of Attis wearing Phrygian cap looking to right; female bust looking to right. Each bust is framed by a circlet of beaded gold wire and a plain collar of gold sheet. The interstices between the busts are decorated in opus interrasile, the design comprising a heart-shaped motif in plain reserved gold from which emanate two vegetal scrolls which in turn form a larger open-work heart; running scroll tendrils fill the spaces between the collars and inner and outer borders; the scroll tendril design is less skilfully replicated on the suspension loop.
Blurton 1997:
Coin-set jewellery was popular during the Late Roman and Early Byzantine periods. This pendant is one of four or five from the same necklace and is set with a double solidus of Constantine I (306-337) specially minted at Sirmium (present-day Sremska Mitrovica, in Serbia) in 321.
The beautifully carved heads surrounding the coin are highly individualized, almost portraits. They probably represent mythological figures. Pierced work, opus interrasile, was a technique commonly used in jewellery of the period.
Late Roman, 321 CE
Made in Sirmium (modern Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia)
British Museum (1984,0501.1)
Gold pendant, with a coin of Constantine the Great
Gold pendant in the form of an engrailed hexagon. In the centre of the pendant is a double solidus of Constantine the Great: on the obverse, a bust of Constantine to left wearing a radiate diadem and cuirass and paludamentum, right hand upraised; around the bust, a Latin inscription; on the reverse, two confronted laureate busts of Constantine II and Crispus, both wearing imperial costume and holding eagle-topped sceptres; around and below them, a Latin inscription. In each angle of the hexagon is a bust in high relief: from top left moving clockwise: female bust with elaborate coiffure looking to right; female bust looking to left; bearded bust looking to left; female bust looking to left; bust of Attis wearing Phrygian cap looking to right; female bust looking to right. Each bust is framed by a circlet of beaded gold wire and a plain collar of gold sheet. The interstices between the busts are decorated in opus interrasile, the design comprising a heart-shaped motif in plain reserved gold from which emanate two vegetal scrolls which in turn form a larger open-work heart; running scroll tendrils fill the spaces between the collars and inner and outer borders; the scroll tendril design is less skilfully replicated on the suspension loop.
Blurton 1997:
Coin-set jewellery was popular during the Late Roman and Early Byzantine periods. This pendant is one of four or five from the same necklace and is set with a double solidus of Constantine I (306-337) specially minted at Sirmium (present-day Sremska Mitrovica, in Serbia) in 321.
The beautifully carved heads surrounding the coin are highly individualized, almost portraits. They probably represent mythological figures. Pierced work, opus interrasile, was a technique commonly used in jewellery of the period.
Late Roman, 321 CE
Made in Sirmium (modern Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia)
British Museum (1984,0501.1)