Ancient gold jewellery provides us with a great deal of information regarding the economies, cultural links, religious beliefs and social organisation of early societies. This type of information is obtained by combining the study of widespread aspects of early jewellery, from scientific analysis of the materials used to the surviving papyri that discuss the purchase and use of jewellery. This review briefly discusses the origin and use of gold, its composition and the technology employed in ancient and medieval times to form it into the finished products. Ancient goldsmiths and some of the factors that influenced jewellery art and design are also briefly considered.
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References
1.
Michelangelo's comment is given in Benvenuto Cellini: ‘Treatise on goldsmithing and sculpture’, (trans. AsbeeC.R.); 1967, New York, Dover.
2.
PetrieW. M. F.: ‘Objects of daily use’, 9; 1927, London.
For a recent brief look at the history of jewellery study, seeOgdenJ. M.: ‘Ancient jewellery’; 1992, London, British Museum Publications.
5.
WilliamsC. R.: ‘Catalogue of Egyptian antiquities’, Nos. 1–60, ‘Gold and silver jewelry and related objects’; 1924, New York, New York Historical Society.
6.
An exemplary publication isJohnsC. and PotterT.: ‘The Thetford Treasure, Roman jewellery and silver’; 1983, London, a catalogue and full description of a very important recent British find of late Roman gold.
7.
According to the 16th century English sailor Anthony Knivet, seePurchasS.: ‘Hakluytus postumus’, Vol. 16, 257; 1906. A similar practice has been reported in the Colombian highlands even in this century, see T. A. Rickard: ‘The primitive use of gold’, paper issued on 20 September 1934 by The Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, London for discussion by correspondence, p. 7.
8.
Table 10, law 15, see S. P. Scott: ‘The civil law’; 1973.
9.
OgdenJ. M.: ‘Platinum group metal inclusions in ancient gold artifacts’, J. Hist. Metall. Soc., 1977, 11, (2), 53–72.
10.
Now in a private collection, this ring was first published (as a drawing with little further information) inNewberryP. E.: ‘Ancient Egyptian scarabs: an introduction to Egyptian seals and signet rings’, pl. 31,21; 1905, London.
