The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 19, 2024

Necklace

Necklace

100s BCE
gold, moonstone, garnet, emerald, cornelian, baroque pearl, and banded agate
Overall: 39.4 cm (15 1/2 in.)
Gift of Mrs. John L. Severance 1928.234
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

The lynx heads on this necklace may reference the mythical King Lyncus of Scythia.

Description

Alternating semiprecious stones and granulated gold beads come together to form this magnificent necklace, capped with a gold clasp framed by banded agate cabochons. The pendant portion of this necklace is centered around a large translucent moonstone in a gold setting, framed by smaller garnet ovals, also set in gold. Two tiny gold lynx heads clasp the garnet settings in their mouths. Small baroque (nonspherical) pearls dangle from these central settings. The combination of multiple precious and semiprecious stones with complex goldwork suggests that this necklace was originally made in one of the Greek kingdoms in the Black Sea region.
  • Dr. Jacob Hirsch
  • “A Greek Necklace.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 15, no. 8 (1928): 163–65. www.jstor.org
    "Gives Cleveland a Grecian Necklace" The Art Digest. Nov. 1, 1928. p.19
    Amyx, Darrell A. and Barbara A. Forbes. Echoes from Olympus: Reflections of Divinity in Small-Scale Classical Art. Berkeley: University Art Museum, 1974. Cat no. 192. Mentioned p. 134
    Oliver, Andrew Jr. "The Olbia Treasure" in Walters Art Gallery (Baltimore, Md.). Jewelry, Ancient to Modern. New York: Viking Press, in cooperation with Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, 1980. pp.194-103. Mentioned p. 97
    Davidson, Patricia F. and Andrew Oliver. Ancient Greek and Roman Gold Jewelry in the Brooklyn Museum. Brooklyn N.Y: Museum. 1984 Mentioned p. 46
    Musche, Brigitte. Vorderasiatischer Schmuck zur Zeit der Arsakiden und der Sasaniden. Leiden: Brill, 1988. Mentioned cat. no. 4.7.5, p. 146, Reproduced Pl. XLII, fig. 4.7.5
    Treister, Mikhail Yu. "Polychrome Necklaces from the Late Hellenistic Period", Ancient Civilizations from Scythia to Siberia 10, 3-4 (2004): 199-257, Mentioned p. 222, 238-240. Reproduced p. 239, fig. 7. doi.org
  • Echoes from Olympus: Reflections of Divinity in Small-Scale Classical Art. University of California, Berkeley. University Art Museum, Berkeley, CA (organizer) (August 15-December 15, 1974).
    Jewelry Techniques Past and Present. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 3-April 4, 1956).
  • {{cite web|title=Necklace|url=false|author=|year=100s BCE|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1928.234