Early Byzantine bracelet with a Roman cameo of Medusa
5th century A.D., incorporating a cameo of the 1st-2nd centuries A.D.
Medium/TechniqueGold, chalcedony, garnet, and green glass paste (modern)
DimensionsOverall: 4.1 x 7.3 cm (1 5/8 x 2 7/8 in.)
Credit LineGift of George D. and Margo Behrakis
Accession numberAPP.2022.172
On View
On viewClassificationsJewelry / Adornment
Collections
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
In 2008, this bracelet was purchased with the guidance of the Museum. The owner, Theodore Sarmas, provided documentation to the MFA that lists “a bracelet” along with trays, brooches, belts, crosses, and “other various items” that his father had acquired in 1937 from a Liverpool collector, Mr. Barry, and that were passed along to Mr. Sarmas at his father’s death in 1963. With this documentation, the MFA accepted the bracelet as a promised gift.
New information has come to light, suggesting that this was a false provenance used repeatedly by the seller. The story may have been fabricated to disguise a recent instance of archaeological looting. Normally, the MFA would not accept or hold an object believed to have been illicitly excavated without reaching out to representatives of the country of origin. In this case, however, the bracelet’s country of origin is not known. By drawing attention to its lack of provenance, the MFA hopes to increase the visibility of the bracelet, raise awareness of the problem of unprovenanced antiquities on the market, and bring in additional information from others.
150–100 B.C.
150–100 B.C.
Early 2nd century B.C.
6th–early 5th century B.C.
1st century B.C.–1st century A.D.
1st century B.C.–1st century A.D.
2nd century B.C.
2nd century B.C.