ticketsMember | Make a donation
English

Pendants and beads

ca. 18th–17th century BCE
Not on view
These gold pendants and beads exemplify the finest craftsmanship in gold from the ancient Near East, and each represents a deity or the symbol of a deity. The two female figures, wearing horned headdresses and long flounced dresses, probably represent Lama, a protective goddess; the disk with rays emanating from a central boss represents Shamash, the sun god; and the forked lightning is the symbol for Adad, the storm god. The two disks with granulated rosettes may be symbols of Ishtar, goddess of love and war represented by the planet Venus. Necklaces with similar symbols can be found on the figures of royal personages in later Assyrian wall reliefs and probably served as both jewelry and talismans.

It is difficult to date the group because the technique and imagery employed were known throughout the first half of the second millennium B.C. Similar gold disks with extensive granulation have been found in a tomb at Ebla in western Syria and in a private house at Larsa in southern Mesopotamia. Other objects in the hoard seem to have been made earlier and kept for centuries. It is possible that such a hoard would have been gathered and kept by a jeweler, who would have use for such materials.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Pendants and beads
  • Period: Old Babylonian
  • Date: ca. 18th–17th century BCE
  • Geography: Mesopotamia, said to be from Dilbat
  • Culture: Babylonian
  • Medium: Gold
  • Dimensions: L. 17.16 in. (43.6 cm)
    D. of largest medallion 1 3/8 in. (3.6 cm)
  • Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1947
  • Object Number: 47.1a-h
  • Curatorial Department: Ancient West Asian Art

Audio

Cover Image for 7025. Necklace pendants and beads, Part 1

7025. Necklace pendants and beads, Part 1

0:00
0:00
We're sorry, the transcript for this audio track is not available at this time. Please email info@metmuseum.org to request a transcript for this track.

    Listen to more about this artwork

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Sickle sword, Bronze, Assyrian
Sickle sword
Assyrian
ca. 1307–1275 BCE
Seated goddess with a child, Gold, Hittite
Seated goddess with a child
Hittite
ca. 14th–13th century BCE
Enthroned deity, Bronze, gold foil, Canaanite
Enthroned deity
Canaanite
ca. 14th–13th century BCE
Vessel terminating in the forepart of a stag, Silver, gold inlay, Hittite
Vessel terminating in the forepart of a stag
Hittite
ca. 14th–13th century BCE
Helmet with divine figures beneath a bird with outstretched wings, Bronze, gold foil over bitumen, Elamite
Helmet with divine figures beneath a bird with outstretched wings
Elamite
ca. 1500–1100 BCE

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Showing 4 of 22

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.