A fragmentary Greek gold oak wreath, late Classical to early Hellenistic period,...

A fragmentary Greek gold oak wreath,

late Classical to early Hellenistic period, circa 4th-3rd century B.C.,

in two sections, one approx. 20cm. long and the other approx. 11cm. long, total weight 37 grams

Provenance: Formerly in the collection of Greek Antiquities collector Dionysios Loverdos and thence by descent; acquired in London in 1974

In ancient Greece, foliate wreaths fashioned from gold, mimicking natural forms such as laurel, myrtle, olive, ivy, and, as here, oak, were given as prizes, worn in processions or in the symposia, dedicated at sanctuaries and buried with the dead. Sanctuary dedications are mentioned in temple treasury lists from as early as the 5th century B.C., but surviving examples are few prior to the 4th century B.C. The meaning of the different plant species employed for these wreaths is uncertain, but in the case of oak, there is at least a clear association with Zeus.