A Hellenistic sheet gold laurel wreath 3rd/2nd century B.C.E....

A Hellenistic sheet gold laurel wreath

3rd/2nd century B.C.E.

Intended as a diadem, comprising eight tripartite leaf sections affixed to a central band, with hook and eye clasp at ends; fitted in a custom black leather and silk-lined case and accompanied by an appraisal conducted by Paul S. Forbes Antiquity Consultancy, Silver Spring, Maryland, dated November 17, 2016.

L: 10 1/2, H: 1 in.

PROVENANCE:

Georg Wertheim.
Lotte Wertheim.
By descent through the family.
Private collection, Virginia.

This diadem was once in the collection of famed German merchant and entrepreneur Georg Wertheim (1857-1939), founder of Wertheim department stores in the late 19th century. Within two decades it was the largest retail company in Germany; despite (or perhaps because of) this success, the family was forced to "Aryanize" the company in 1933, which required relinquishing ownership to an "Aryan" citizen. His wife, Ursula, met the legal requirements and was able to become the principal shareholder, keeping the company in the family. It was nevertheless rebranded under the German name Allgemeine Warenhandels-Gesellschaft, and by 1951 no longer remained in family control.

This diadem descended to Wertheim's daughter, Lotte Wertheim (1904-1990), and remained in the family until its acquisition by the present owner. It was considered by the family to be of Frankish Merovingian origin, circa 5th-6th century C.E., but is now acknowledged to be a Hellenistic example.