Hellenistic 22K+ Gold Diadem w/ Floral Motifs

Greek, Hellenistic, ca. 2nd to 1st century BCE. A stunning diadem comprised of 22K+ gold foil, with an attractive design featuring six cut and applied flowers, each one presenting four equidistantly placed petals surrounding an embossed dotted center, carefully attached to a gold foil band. Size: 15" L x 1.5" H (38.1 cm x 3.8 cm); 5.5" H (14 cm) on included custom stand.

The diadem is one of the oldest and most characteristic articles of women's jewelry that originated in the Greek world. While wreaths and coronets were worn by men as signs of social or political status, and as funerary objects, diadem were worn solely by women, usually strictly for decorative purposes. Numerous examples in gold have been found in necropolises in southern Italy, Macedonia, and on the Black Sea coast, testifying to the great refinement of Greek jewelry-making during the Hellenistic period, and to the widespread diffusion of decorative motifs throughout the Mediterranean basin.

A museum quality piece that compares to other fine examples in museum collections such as the Louvre Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Madame Frances Artuner collection, Brussels, Belgium, acquired in the 1960s

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

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#152836
Condition Report: Minor curling/bending to some petals. A few minute losses/tears to some of the petals and a few on the band. However, overall these petals are in impressive condition and have fared the tests of time quite well.