Byzantine Hexagonal Pendant with Solidus of Constantine I [L]

Byzantine Male Hexagonal Pendant with Solidus (bezant, coin) of Constantine I -- from Burnstein Azalee Jewelry
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* 18-karat gold
* genuine design
* without blinking, low lag
* handmade jewelry
* pierced, opus interrasile, open-work, embossed, chased
* date: Late 4th century

Perms: copy

IM Chrysalida Burnstein if you want to personalize your gift, for 10% of price, with special message/notecard, in beautiful box.

Availability: 25

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Size settings:

All of pieces from Burnstein Azalee Jewelry comes with a resizing option.

After you wear piece of jewelry, touch the object. After touching a prim it offers you options to resize all prims of the piece of jewelry 1, 5 or 10 percent smaller or bigger.

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Gold pendant in the form of an engrailed hexagon; in the centre of the pendant is a double solidus of Constantine the Great; obverse: bust of Constantine to left wearing a radiate diadem and cuirass and paludamentum; right hand upraised; around the bust, a Latin inscription; reverse: two confronted laureate busts of Constantine II and Crispus, both wearing imperial costume and holding eagle-topped sceptres; around and below them, a Latin inscription. In each angle of the hexagon is a bust in high relief: from top left moving clockwise: female bust with elaborate coiffure looking to right; female bust looking to left; bearded bust looking to left; female bust looking to left; bust of Attis wearing Phrygian cap looking to right; female bust looking to right.

Each bust is framed by a circlet of beaded gold wire and a plain collar of gold sheet. The interstices between the busts are decorated in opus interrasile, the design comprising a heart-shaped motif in plain reserved gold from which emanate two vegetal scrolls which in turn form a larger openwork heart; running scroll tendrils fill the spaces between the collars and inner and outer borders; the scroll tendril design is less skilfully replicated on the suspension loop.

The byzantine era begins in 334 AD, when the Roman emperor Constantine I, declares the ancient city of Byzantium as the new capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. Byzantium is named Constantinople (city of Constantine) after his name. Byzantine era comes to its end in 1453, with the Ottoman capture of Constantinople. The byzantine era is characterized by the recognition of Christianity as the official state religion, the preservation of the Roman-Hellenistic traditions and the increasing predominance of the Greek language.

The term Byzantine art encompass the art of the Byzantine Empire during this period. Jewelry, as other art forms during this era, is characterized by a completely new way of expression, a fruitful synthesis of the previous Hellenic heritage and the spirituality of the Christian religion mixed with elements of the oriental artistic tradition, while the man, according to the Ancient Greek ideals, remains the center of this artistic phase. During the 3rd and 4th century, jewelry becomes more abstract and symbolic. At the end of the 4th century, Christian symbols, as crosses, representations of Christ begin to appear. Combining different techniques, new and older ones that revive during that period, artisans try to satisfy a desire for luxury and divine splendor, using a wide range of materials – precious metals and stones when available, semi-precious stones, pearls and glass.

The late 4th to 7th century mark the period of Byzantine worldwide domination. Arts and letters flourish. Anthropocentrism still characterizes arts, as in painting, where the desire to find ways to express and transmit the divine spirituality through the human form is evident. Jewelry is another art form that reflects the features of this period. Jewelry pieces that have survived and representations in paintings give us an idea of the luxury and high quality of ornaments. The use of precious and semi-precious stones becomes very popular and goldsmiths mainly focus on them rather than elaborating techniques for working the gold. From the 9th century on, art and consequently jewelry is characterized by a “Macedonian renaissance” – a return to the ancient Greek patterns.

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