The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 24, 2024
Clasp Set with Semiprecious Stones
324–26 CE
(probably Sirium or Nicomedia)
Overall: 5 x 3.8 x 9.8 cm (1 15/16 x 1 1/2 x 3 7/8 in.)
Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund 1994.98.4
Location: 104 Late Antiquity
Description
Mounted at the center of this octagonal pendant is a rare coin issued by Constantine the Great, the Roman Empire’s first Christian emperor. Constantine’s portrait appears on the coin’s front, those of two of his sons on the back. Constantine’s image is surrounded by male and female busts, some of which are mythological figures. The pendant once formed the centerpiece of a sumptuous gold necklace, likely a gift for a high-ranking court official or member of the imperial family.- (Jean-Luc Chalmin, London).
- Deppert-Lippitz, Barbara. "Late Roman Splendor: Jewelry from the Age of Constantine." Cleveland Studies in the History of Art 1 (1996): 30-71. Reproduced: P. 31, fig. 1; P. 33, fig. 2a; P. 34, fig. 2b 20079681.
- {{cite web|title=Clasp Set with Semiprecious Stones|url=false|author=|year=324–26 CE|access-date=24 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1994.98.4