Gold Necklace with Amethysts, Glass Beads, and a Pearl
Unknown Artist
500–700
Medium
Gold, amethyst, glass, pearls
Dimensions
Overall: 16 7/8 x 1/2 x 7/16 in. (42.8 x 1.3 x 1.1 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Gold
Culture
Byzantine
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.1663
Art Historical Context
This exquisite gold necklace, dating to the Byzantine Empire between 500 and 700 CE, exemplifies theulence of early medieval jewelry crafted for the elite. Measuring about 17 inches long, features a delicate chain adorned with faceted amethysts, colorful glass beads, and arous pearl pendant—materials that highlight the empire's mastery of luxury metalwork. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Medieval Art department it was generously gifted by financier J. Pierpont Morgan 1917. Byz goldsmiths were renowned for their technical prowess, employing techniques like twisting wires and setting ge...