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Barnebys HQ
Brahegatan 10
BOX 5038
114 37 Stockholm
All auctions / Ancient Art / Byzantine Silver Rare Jewish Silver “Tzeror Ha-Mor”...
Wear a piece of history, not just jewelry Rare Jewish–Byzantine Silver “Tzeror Ha-Mor” Pendant – Solomon’s Knot (Nodo di Salomone) – Symbol of Eternity and Protection Object Type: Amuletic / Devotional Pendant Cultural Context: Jewish / Byzantine–Eastern Mediterranean Period: Late Antique–Early Medieval / Byzantine Tradition Material: Silver / Silver Alloy Technique: Hand-Fashioned; Applied Twisted-Wire Filigree and Repoussé-Type Construction Form: Crescentic / Lunulate Pendant with Twin Suspension Terminals Decoration: Repeated Interlaced Twisted-Wire Knot Motifs Iconography: Solomon’s Knot (Nodo di Salomone) / Interlaced Infinity Motif Symbolic Context: Continuity, Eternity and Protective / Apotropaic Associations Comparative Context: Late Antique Jewish and Byzantine Geometric Ornament Condition: Well-Preserved; Strong Surface Tonality, Ancient-Style Wear and Clearly Preserved Applied Wire Decoration Dimensions Height: 19.90 mm ± Width: 16.45 mm ± Depth: 6.54 mm ± Weight: 2.18 g If requested prior to dispatch, a Cultural and Iconographic Assessment Certificate will be prepared as a physical hard copy and included with the shipment. Every shipment is fully insured. The photographs were taken under warm, museum-inspired lighting. The suspension cord visible in the photographs is exclusively a display aid and is not included with the artefact. Description This remarkable silver pendant displays a deeply curved lunulate body enriched with repeated interlaced motifs formed from applied twisted wire. Their continuous looping structure closely evokes the ancient Solomon’s Knot (Nodo di Salomone), a geometric device formed through interwoven closed loops and associated across Late Antique visual culture with continuity and protective symbolism. The motif has particular relevance to Jewish archaeological contexts: a Solomon’s Knot is preserved in the mosaic pavement of the ancient Ostia Synagogue, while related geometric ornament occurs throughout the wider Late Antique and Byzantine Mediterranean. The pendant’s sculptural depth, paired suspension terminals and extensive wire ornament create an exceptionally distinctive jewel. Within a Jewish–Byzantine interpretative context, the endless interlace provides a compelling visual language of continuity, eternity and protection, while the title Tzeror Ha-Mor is employed here as a poetic Jewish reference rather than an archaeological object classification. Archaeological & Iconographic Context The ancient synagogue at Ostia provides a particularly important comparison. Its archaeological history includes Late Antique renovations, Jewish liturgical installations and decorative mosaics; a pavement motif from the synagogue is specifically identified as a Solomon’s Knot. The Ostia evidence is valuable but must be interpreted carefully. Archaeological documentation describes the sigillum Salomonis as two closed interwoven loops with four crossings and notes that the device occurs both in the synagogue and elsewhere at Ostia. Consequently, the motif possesses a genuine Jewish archaeological parallel but is not exclusively Jewish. This broader distribution is compatible with the shared ornamental vocabulary of the Late Antique and Byzantine Mediterranean. For the present pendant, the repeated interlace is therefore most appropriately described as Solomon’s-Knot-type / endless interlace ornament, with Jewish and Byzantine comparative associations rather than an exclusive ethnic attribution. Information The presentation and sale of this object are conducted in accordance with principles of transparency, scholarly consistency, and good faith, and no object is knowingly presented as a copy or imitation. The object has been documented using high-resolution imaging equipment, with its physical structure and form left entirely unaltered; only limited color-balance adjustments have been applied to ensure visual accuracy. As high-resolution imagery may influence the perception of scale, the photographs should always be considered together with the stated measurements. All statements concerning dating, intended function, cultural attribution, symbolic or iconographic interpretation, and material identification represent high-probability academic assessments based on typological analysis, comparative archaeological material, museum collections and expert opinion. Definitive determination of the metallic composition would require XRF or comparable laboratory analysis. Upon request prior to shipment, a signed ownership document issued in the buyer’s name may also be provided. If requested prior to dispatch, the Cultural and Iconographic Assessment Certificate will be prepared as a physical hard copy and included with the shipment.
Estimate:$227.42
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Estimate:
$227.42
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