Pendant
Pendant
1865-1873 (made)
1865-1873 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This pendant, made from the carcass of a real beetle, was bought for the Museum in Damascus in 1873.
Although amulets were widely worn by Moslems, and the scarab beetle was an important amulet in Ancient Egypt, real beetles were not usually used for this purpose in the region. This particular pendant is more likely to have been made as a souvenir for western visitors. Iridescent green beetles, imported mainly from India and Brazil, were popular items of jewellery in Britain in the 1870s.
Although amulets were widely worn by Moslems, and the scarab beetle was an important amulet in Ancient Egypt, real beetles were not usually used for this purpose in the region. This particular pendant is more likely to have been made as a souvenir for western visitors. Iridescent green beetles, imported mainly from India and Brazil, were popular items of jewellery in Britain in the 1870s.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | Pendant (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | Green and red beetle set in silver |
Brief description | Green and red beetle set in sheet silver, Damascus (Syria), 1865-1873. |
Physical description | The dried body of a bright green and red beetle in a closed mount with toothed setting. There is a small loop for suspension at the top holding a loose ring. |
Subject depicted | |
Summary | This pendant, made from the carcass of a real beetle, was bought for the Museum in Damascus in 1873. Although amulets were widely worn by Moslems, and the scarab beetle was an important amulet in Ancient Egypt, real beetles were not usually used for this purpose in the region. This particular pendant is more likely to have been made as a souvenir for western visitors. Iridescent green beetles, imported mainly from India and Brazil, were popular items of jewellery in Britain in the 1870s. |
Collection | |
Accession number | 861-1873 |
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Record created | April 8, 2003 |
Record URL |
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