Jewelry And The Middle Ages-00-6463

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BYZANTIUM AND THE MIDDLEAGES
Byzantium
The Byzantine Empire originated in 330 ce with the founding of Constantinople on the site of the Greek city of Byzantium. The Byzantine Empire survived until Constantinople was taken by the Ottomans in 1453. Constantinople, well placed for trade between East and West, became a centre for ivory, precious stones and pearls. It also benefited from domestic sources of gold in the Balkans, Asia Minor and Greece. The empire was wealthy and hugely influential. Byzantine society was hierarchical and the wearing of
[fashion jewelry] and the availability of certain types of ornament was strictly regulated through sump-tuary laws: every man and woman was entided to wear a gold ring but the wider use of gold and precious stones was restricted to die court and the church.The adoption of Christianity led to forms of jewelry ( pendant cross ). Roman order Classical traditions were maintained with the addition of Christian iconography, new styles in poly¬chrome jewelry where the gem was to predominate over the gold-work, and the widespread ...
... use of niello to highlight engraving and give a contrast to bright precious metal. The most innovative tech-nique of Early Byzantine jewelry was fine-chiselled openwork, opus interrasile. Chasing and emboss-ing were popular techniques and were sometimes combined widi opus interrasile.The Roman love of coloured stones was to remain a constant and to diis was added enamel techniques. Gold cloi-sonné jewelry became a distinctive feature. Carved
[fashion jewelry] (cameos and intaglios) were also used, along with portrait medallions and coins; some depicting religious scènes such as the Annunciation or Christ blessing a couple.
Early European
The earliest possible date of metalworking tech-nology developing in Europe dates to the Balkans around 4000 BCE, but this knowledge appeared to travel slowly westward as new ore sources were exploited around the Danube Basin. By 2000 bce, metalworking had been introduced and basic common forms - though differing in style depending on the region — emerged during the Bronze Age (1800-600 bce). Jewelry in central and northern Europe developed independently of the Mediterranean.Ireland was rich in alluvial gold and so die craft of goldsmithing developed very early on in the Bronze Age there. Two types of ornament are typical: large discs decorated with central crosses that were sewn onto clothes, and crescent-shaped neck rings called lunulae.. In Central Europe a style of jewelry developed around die use of wire formed into spirals. In Ireland, Britain and France cruciform strips of wire were twisted into long three-dimensional spirals that were worn around die neck or arm. The Celts dominated Europe during die itm Age and established a stylistic tradition that per sisted in parts of Europe throughout the Romji period and beyond, and still has relevance today;There is evidence that Celtic craftsmen wer; using enamels and inlay as early as 400 bce. Tb« item of jewelry most associated with the Cehs is die torc; this was a prominent part of bank dress worn by both men and women. Celtic jewelry was essentially functional, used to fasten clothes, and die most universal form was the brooch.

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