BYZANTINE SILVER DOVE-SHAPED PENDANT

Ca. AD 450 - 600. A silver pendant cast in the shape of a stylised dove with outstretched wings, rounded breast, and flaring tail. The body is decorated with incised feather motifs on the wings and tail, and a circular eye is marked on either side of the head. A large suspension loop is set vertically on the bird’s back. The underside terminates in a short cylindrical tenon. Size: 19mm x 34mm; Weight: 19.28g Provenance: Private London collection, acquired on the US art market, in the 1990s.