Bracelet with Lion Terminals

1 of 2

Artist
Name	Unknown
Basic Info
Created in	Ancient & Byzantine World
Century	Unidentified century
Culture	Graeco-Roman
Dimensions	larger fragment: 6.6 x 3.7 x 1.1 cm (2 5/8 x 1 7/16 x 7/16 in.) smaller fragment: 4.9 x 1.3 x 1 cm (1 15/16 x 1/2 x 3/8 in.)
Harvard Museum
Department	Department of Ancient and Byzantine Art & Numismatics
Division	Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact	am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu

Context

The hollow-tube bracelet tapers from the center toward the lion-head terminals (1). The mouths’ of the lions are open; eyes, ears, mouths, and snouts are all clear. A raised circular band goes around the end of each neck. The undersides of each head have a notch removed for attaching to the bracelet itself.
 
NOTES:
 
1. Compare other bracelets with animal-head terminals in J. L. Myres, A Catalogue of the Cyprus Museum (Oxford, 1899) 137, no. 4250, pl. 7; and H. Hoffmann, The Beauty of Ancient Art: Classical Antiquity, Near East, Egypt, exh. cat., Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University (Mainz, 1964) no. 34.
 
Lisa M. Anderson

TechnicalDetails

Chemical Composition

Technical Observations

The patina is varied with shades of green, brown, grayish black, and spots of red. The surface detail of the terminals has been mostly obliterated by corrosion. 
 
The bracelet appears to have been made from three pieces. The bulk of the bracelet consists of a hollow tube made of hammered sheet metal, which has a straight seam along the length of the inner surface. To this were attached two cast lion-head finials. The object is in fragmentary condition and seems to be missing some material from the area between the two remaining pieces. The edges of the sheet metal are also very ragged due to corrosion. The hollow of the larger piece is partially empty and partially filled with sandy earthen material, probably burial accretions. The area closest to the break is filled with a dark, reddish-brown, crystalline, resinous material. The same material also fills the hollow of the smaller fragment as well as the join between the head and the tube of the larger fragment, suggesting that this was the original fill material, similar to the rosin traditionally used in hollow silver flatware to give it weight. 
 
Francesca G. Bewer (submitted 2012)

Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Dr. Harris Kennedy, Class of 1894