Hellenistic Period Jewellery



 The Hellenistic Period (4th-1st centuries BCE) is acknowledged as the golden age of jewellery in the Aegean world. The opening of new gold mines in Western Thrace (Pangaion Hills) by Philip II of Macedon, and the seizure of Persian treasures after Alexander the Great's conquests lead to a rise in economic prosperity. The aforementioned factors are considered to hold vital importance in the advancement of jewellery during this period. From the mid-Hellenistic Period on, a rich and colourful decorative style was employed for luxury goods. As for normal jewellery, semi-precious stones and imitation glass stones were the materials of choice. Fine craftsmanship and design are the two features that usually stand out in the jewellery art of the period. Large and flamboyant forms were complemented with elaborate figures and details which was a common trait at the time.


 During this period, images of Dionysus, the knot of Hercules, mythological characters like Eros and Nike, animals such as lions, antelopes, goats, dolphins, various plant seed ornaments, palmette motifs and a wide range of chain mesh patterns were commonly used in jewellery. Necklaces, bracelets, rings, crowns, diadems, fibulas, pins, and such, serve as fine examples of the period's opulent jewellery. Moreover, the breast ornament is another type of jewellery characteristic of the period. The breast ornament consisted of four long chains or straps fixed to a plate decorated with a central motif. Two of the four chains or straps were attached to the shoulders and the other two to the waist. Furthermore, there was a wide variety of earrings bearing images of lion heads, wildcats, calves, panthers, gazelles, birds, Eros, Nike and such. Disc earrings were a type of jewellery highly popular in the Hellenistic Period. The discs were complimented with pendulums bearing images of Eros, Nike and the like. The jewellery workshops of Lampsacus and Antioch were especially renowned in Anatolia during the Hellenistic Period.

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