Roman Gold Necklace
A Roman Gold Necklace with a very distinctive wheel clasp surrounded by a golden coil design.
This type II, Variant 1 Golden Necklace is a single loop-in-loop chain of 49 twisted eight-shaped links, made of thin round hold wire. The ends are held together by hollow cylinders made of thin plate gold with horizontal fluting, to which the hoop-with-hook clasp is twisted into connecting with the rest of the chain. Very well persevered, Circa 2nd to Mid 3rd century AD, as very similar gold chains have been discovered and dated to this time period.
To find similar Instances of the chain design found in this necklace, for reference to similar chain necklaces from the British Museum as well as Antiquity Museum in Berlin [Nos 2734, 2727, pl. LIX, Nos 2738, 2745, pl. LXI; 114, 30, No 2 Talb.24, 95, 37, No 4, Tabl. V, 4;105] Please also see Cat. No 80, 94, 101, 111, 132, 140, 141, 195, 286 within “Ogden, Jack. Jewellery of the Ancient World / Jack Ogden. New York: Rizzoli, 1982. Print”
A Roman Gold Necklace with a very distinctive wheel clasp surrounded by a golden coil design.
This type II, Variant 1 Golden Necklace is a single loop-in-loop chain of 49 twisted eight-shaped links, made of thin round hold wire. The ends are held together by hollow cylinders made of thin plate gold with horizontal fluting, to which the hoop-with-hook clasp is twisted into connecting with the rest of the chain. Very well persevered, Circa 2nd to Mid 3rd century AD, as very similar gold chains have been discovered and dated to this time period.
To find similar Instances of the chain design found in this necklace, for reference to similar chain necklaces from the British Museum as well as Antiquity Museum in Berlin [Nos 2734, 2727, pl. LIX, Nos 2738, 2745, pl. LXI; 114, 30, No 2 Talb.24, 95, 37, No 4, Tabl. V, 4;105] Please also see Cat. No 80, 94, 101, 111, 132, 140, 141, 195, 286 within “Ogden, Jack. Jewellery of the Ancient World / Jack Ogden. New York: Rizzoli, 1982. Print”
A Roman Gold Necklace with a very distinctive wheel clasp surrounded by a golden coil design.
This type II, Variant 1 Golden Necklace is a single loop-in-loop chain of 49 twisted eight-shaped links, made of thin round hold wire. The ends are held together by hollow cylinders made of thin plate gold with horizontal fluting, to which the hoop-with-hook clasp is twisted into connecting with the rest of the chain. Very well persevered, Circa 2nd to Mid 3rd century AD, as very similar gold chains have been discovered and dated to this time period.
To find similar Instances of the chain design found in this necklace, for reference to similar chain necklaces from the British Museum as well as Antiquity Museum in Berlin [Nos 2734, 2727, pl. LIX, Nos 2738, 2745, pl. LXI; 114, 30, No 2 Talb.24, 95, 37, No 4, Tabl. V, 4;105] Please also see Cat. No 80, 94, 101, 111, 132, 140, 141, 195, 286 within “Ogden, Jack. Jewellery of the Ancient World / Jack Ogden. New York: Rizzoli, 1982. Print”
Weight: 15.32 dwt or 23.83 Grams
Length: 42.23 cm or 16 5/8th inches
Provence:
Freemen’s and Hindman Auctions: Sale 1343 - Antiquities and Ancient Art: Lot 236, Private Illinois Collector, Fortuna Fine Arts, New York, prior to 1990.
Published:
J. Ogden, A Golden Past: Jewelry from the Ancient World (Catalogue), 1990, p. 42, no. 200.
For type see:
Pg 137, Ogden, Jack. Jewellery of the Ancient World / Jack Ogden. New York: Rizzoli, 1982. Print
Other Similar Pieces:
Similar Roman Gold Necklace sold in 2012: https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5628159
Similar Roman Gold Necklace with Wheel Clasp sold in 2011: https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5509405
Similar Roman Gold necklace sold in 1998: https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-1300269
Similar Roman Gold with Emerald Necklace sold in 2014: https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2014/antiquities-n09236/lot.15.html