Published / Exhibited Hallstatt 20K+ Gold Bracelet

Central Europe, Germany and Austria, Danube River Basin, Eastern Hallstatt culture, ca. 900 to 500 BCE. A stunning, and I mean STUNNING gold bracelet - comprised of 84% gold, equivalent to 20K+ and quite substantial in weight! The design is lovely, featuring a 'coiled' central passage flanked by hourglass-shaped appliques with bosses adorning the terminals as well as centers - and three circular appliques along the bangle, each with an impressed symbolic motif. Finally the band is convex in form with everted ridged borders. This bracelet was recently exhibited in "Dressed to Kill in Love and War: Splendor in the Ancient World" (see below). Curator Sarah E. Cox presented it in the "Dressed to Impress" section of this exhibition. According to Dr. Cox, "All classes of women in the ancient world wore jewelry, which was considered both as adornment and as visible evidence of wealth. Many of the surviving pieces, particularly earrings, necklaces, and bracelets, were preserved because they were buried with the deceased. Others were accidentally lost in baths or toilets, or due to the vicissitudes of nature and war." Size: opening measures 2.5" W x 2" H (6.4 cm x 5.1 cm); band is .5" W (1.3 cm); weight: 37.9 grams Size:

Hallstatt culture developed from the earlier Urnfield culture, and would progress into the later La Tene culture, which is often called Celtic. However, these names and classifications have been imposed upon ancient peoples by archaeologists and historians (Hallstatt, for example, takes its name from the type site, which is located in Austria southeast of Salzburg). 2700 years ago, these people lived in small groups, probably loosely confederated for trading purposes but engaging in frequent warfare.

This piece was recently exhibited and published in catalogue for "Dressed to Kill in Love and War: Splendor in the Ancient World" (February 1 - March 31, 2019 - Academy Museum, Easton, Maryland, USA, fig. 1, pp. 3 & 8).

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; This piece was recently exhibited and published in catalogue for "Dressed to Kill in Love and War: Splendor in the Ancient World" (February 1 - March 31, 2019 - Academy Museum, Easton, Maryland, USA, fig. 1, pp. 3 & 8); ex-Frances Artuner collection, Belgium, acquired in the 1960s

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#146261
Condition Report: Possibly one or two missing appliques, and expected indentations here and there, but the form is very well preserved overall. Gold has developed a warm lustrous patina throughout.