Enamel Lion Bangle from Metropolitan Museum of Art
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sterling silver & enamel lion's head finial bangle in the Hellenistic style. Marked for Metropolitan Museum of Art 925. total weight 30 grams
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- Hellenistic - The Hellenistic period is a period in ancient Greek history
that began after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE and lasted until
the Roman conquest of Greece in 146 BCE. It is named after the Greek word
"Hellenistic," which means "to imitate Greeks."
During the Hellenistic period, the Greek world expanded
beyond the boundaries of Greece and encompassed the territories conquered by
Alexander the Great, including Egypt, Persia, and parts of India. The period
was marked by a fusion of Greek culture with the cultures of these conquered
territories, resulting in a diverse and cosmopolitan society.
The art and architecture of the Hellenistic period were
marked by a new sense of realism and individuality. Artists and architects
experimented with new techniques and styles, and the incorporation of new
materials such as bronze and glass. A number of the best-known works of Greek sculpture belong to this period, including Laocoon and his Sons, Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. - Sterling Silver - Sterling silver is a mixture of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% of another metal, usually copper. Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver, and is relatively soft and the addition of the very small amount of copper gives the metal enough strength and hardness to be worked into jewellery, decorative and household objects.
- Finial - An architectural decoration, found on the upper parts of of an object. On furniture they are usually found on pediments, canopies and shelf supports. On smaller ceramic or silver items, such as spoons, they may decorate the top of the item itself, or the lid or cover where they provide a useful handle for removal.
Finials have a variety of shapes and forms. They may be urn-shaped, baluster shaped round or spiral, but usually taper into an upper point. Many real life shapes may also be used as finials, such as pineapples, berries, pinecones, buds, lotus and acorns. Sometimes animals such as a lion are depicted, or fish and dolphins.
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