Case
Case
1800-1880 (made)
1800-1880 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Cypriot traditional jewellery is a rich mix of oriental design and Greek workmanship. Western pilgrims to the Holy Land frequently passed through Cyprus, and the Cypriot goldsmiths absorbed influences from Western Europe as well as Ottoman Turkey. Their work is similar to jewellery from elsewhere in the region, but the quality is often higher.
This case was described as a relic case when it was bought, but it is more likely to have had a secular use. It would have been worn by a man, hanging from a long silver chain, and would have been meant to look like an expensive watch-case, regardless of what it contained.
This case was described as a relic case when it was bought, but it is more likely to have had a secular use. It would have been worn by a man, hanging from a long silver chain, and would have been meant to look like an expensive watch-case, regardless of what it contained.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Case (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Silver-plated metal with repousse pattern |
| Brief description | Cylindrical silver-plated case (ambousta tou korfou) with a repousse double-headed eagle on the front, Cyprus, 19th century. |
| Physical description | Flat cylindrical case with a loosely hinged lid. The lid is embossed with a double-headed eagle, and the base with a regular pattern round a central rosette. The sides are plain. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Cypriot traditional jewellery is a rich mix of oriental design and Greek workmanship. Western pilgrims to the Holy Land frequently passed through Cyprus, and the Cypriot goldsmiths absorbed influences from Western Europe as well as Ottoman Turkey. Their work is similar to jewellery from elsewhere in the region, but the quality is often higher. This case was described as a relic case when it was bought, but it is more likely to have had a secular use. It would have been worn by a man, hanging from a long silver chain, and would have been meant to look like an expensive watch-case, regardless of what it contained. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1545-1888 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | April 17, 2003 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
