Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Diadem
Byzantine craftsmen revived the Hellenistic tradition of incorporating multicolored gemstones in jewelry, which was not common during the Roman imperial period. The ten sections of this openwork diadem were each adorned with a central gem and pearls, now missing. The diadem was sewn onto a headband of leather or cloth with holes so wearers could adjust the size. Similar pieces were also worn as neckbands. This example would most likely have been worn by members of the imperial family as its amethysts evoke the imperial color purple.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Ernest Guilhou, Paris, by purchase; Collection of Guilhou Sale, Paris, July 16-18, 1905, no. 272; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1905, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2009-2010 | Heirs of the Empire in North Africa-The Kingdom of the Vandals. Badisches Landesmuseum, Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe. |
| 2010 | Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry. El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso. |
| 2006-2009 | Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry from the Walters Art Museum. Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville; The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota; The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
| 1984-1987 | Objects of Adornment: Five Thousand Years of Jewelry from the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, New York; Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk; Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio; Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa; Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu; New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans; Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee; Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis; Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo; The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota. |
| 1987 | Jewelry from the Walters Art Gallery and the Zucker Family Collection. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1979-1980 | Jewelry - Ancient to Modern. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1947 | Early Christian and Byzantine Art. Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 5/22/1984 | Treatment | cleaned |
Geographies
Turkey, Istanbul (Constantinople) (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 12 1/4 x W: 1 1/8 x D: 3/8 in. (31.1 x 2.86 x 0.9 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1905
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
57.549