Jewelry Piece of Gold and Agate

Gold and agate jewelry piece, 41 x 33 x 0.4 cm, Roman period. Decorative ornament with gemstone inlays. Syria. National Museum of Damascus, inv. 6014-7885.

Description

This jewelry piece, crafted of gold with agate inlays, illustrates Roman-period luxury and the role of Syrian workshops in Mediterranean trade. Gold was valued for its ductility and permanence, easily mined as nuggets or from ores in regions such as the Caucasus. Syrian goldsmiths transformed this metal into ornaments, with Pliny the Elder attributing to Phoenicians the invention of gold-working techniques. The inlays are cut from agate, a semiprecious stone prized for its multicolored banding, imported from India. The large dimensions of this piece (41 x 33 cm) suggest an ornamental panel, possibly for ceremonial attire or ritual display, rather than an item of daily wear. Its craftsmanship reflects both technical mastery and the cultural prestige of precious materials in Roman Syria.

  • Site: UNKNOWN

  • Date: Roman period

  • Material: Gold and agate

  • Item Dimensions:  41x33x0.4 cm

  • Technique/Style of Manufacture: Goldsmithing; precious metal combined with semiprecious stone inlays

  • Function: Decorative / Jewelry

  • Condition: Good, some wear expected; gemstone inlays preserved

  • Archaeological Mission:

  • National Museum Of Damascus (2011) – Museum Number: 6014-7885

  • VMS Code: Dam 065-2

Excavation Site Location

References

  • Ogden, Jack. Jewellery of the Ancient World. London: Trefoil Books, 1982.
  • Pliny the Elder. Natural History. Vol. 9, Books 33–35. Translated by H. Rackham. Loeb Classical Library 394. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1952, bk. 33.
  • Strong, Donald. Roman Art. Prepared for press by J. M. C. Toynbee. 2nd ed., revised and annotated under the editorship of Roger Ling. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995.

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