Jewellery has long filled symbolic and ideological functions in the lives of peoples.
In the ancient world (eighth century BC – AD sixth century), three different forms of precious metals were used: gold, silver and a naturally occurring alloy of the two known as electrum that was found in Anatolia and Egypt. Gold jewellery was considered particularly exclusive because gold was a rare, high-quality metal (easy to shape) and was associated with a superior status.
Gold jewellery served several functions. First and foremost, it was worn as ornamentation for clothing and hair, but it also communicated something about status, rank, identity, and fashion. Jewellery also had a religious meaning. It could be worn as a protective talisman or a good-luck charm, or it could be sent along with the dead as a burial gift to honour a relative or be used in the next life.
The most common forms of jewellery were earrings, necklaces, bracelets, diadems, finger rings and spiral hairpins. In general, the Romans preferred gold jewellery with simple, metallic surfaces. On the other hand, Etruscan and Greek jewellery was richly ornamented with gold threads and with grains arranged in patterns, a technique called granulation. The choice of gemstones changed over time with fashion and popularity.
The objects in the Gold Room are divided by origin so that you can study and compare jewelery from different places and time periods up close. What similarities and differences can you find?
During the Swedish Cyprus Expedition in 1927–31, gold and silver objects were found in several places. Some of the objects are now included in the museum’s collection, but most are still in Cyprus. The objects include finds from Bronze Age graves in Enkomi and the Ajios Jakovos settlement, as well as burial finds from Lapithos and Marion.
In recent decades, additional gold objects have been donated to the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities, including artifacts from the private collections of Georg von Békésy and Carl Kempe.
