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Pendant thumbnail 2

Pendant

ca. 1100 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Byzantine cameos were made in good numbers between the 10th and 12th centuries in a variety of semi-precious stones. Many showed standard images of Christ or the Virgin, familiar from coins and other media, or depicted particularly popular saints. They were often set into pendants or other items of jewellery, and being easily portable several came to be inserted into western book covers and reliquaries.

Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Amethyst
Brief description
Pendant, St Theodore, Amethyst, Byzantine.
Physical description
Amethyst carved with a half length figure of St Theodore and framed in an octagonal setting.
Dimensions
  • Height: 5.5cm
  • Width: 3.3cm
  • Depth: 1.7cm
  • Weight: 0.02kg
Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries 2006
Subject depicted
Summary
Byzantine cameos were made in good numbers between the 10th and 12th centuries in a variety of semi-precious stones. Many showed standard images of Christ or the Virgin, familiar from coins and other media, or depicted particularly popular saints. They were often set into pendants or other items of jewellery, and being easily portable several came to be inserted into western book covers and reliquaries.
Bibliographic reference
List of Objects in the Art Division South Kensington Museum acquired during the Year 1891. Arranged according to the dates of acquisition, with appendix and indices. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1892. pp. 121
Collection
Accession number
779A-1891

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Record createdJuly 23, 2007
Record URL
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