Jewels in ancient Greece between nature, mythology and refinement
Although they are perhaps less well known than the celebrated works of classical sculpture and architecture, even i jewelry in ancient Greece they played an important role as witnesses of Greek art. And like any artistic manifestation, even goldsmith objects are closely linked to the historical era in which they were made.
The evolution of jewelry in ancient Greece
The oldest jewels between nature and geometry
The first precious objects, as evidenced by i archaeological finds, date back to the Minoan age, the civilization born on the island of Crete in the Bronze Age period. In this era (which takes its name from the mythological king Minos) the Cretans, a people of maritime traders, imported metals from different areas of the Mediterranean, such as Cyprus, Syria and Asia Minor. Jewelery was mainly made of gold, but silver, tin and copper were also used. Necklaces, bracelets and rings – worn by women and men – recalled nature: the favorite subjects were flowers and plants, but also bees, bumblebees and beetles.
Geometric motifs arrived in the jewelry in ancient Greece thanks to the Mycenaean civilization, born around 1600 BC in the city of Mycenae. The Mycenaeans were a people of warriors: among the jewels found there are swords with rich decorations and death masks in gold. In the jewels they added geometric shapes such as spirals, stars and crescents to the naturalistic themes.
Jewels in Ancient Greece of the Classical Age
The classical period (XNUMXth-XNUMXth century BC) was that of the maximum splendor of Greek culture and therefore also of every form of art, from literature to sculpture and architecture. It was the period of polis, the city-states, which placed community life at the center of everything, and this mentality also had an important effect in the creation of jewels. In fact, jewels for private use were simple and linear, almost always without precious stones; the most frequent subjects were mythological figures. A testimony of the style of these jewels is in the decorations of the vases of the time, which often portrayed female figures with diadems, necklaces, bracelets and earrings. In this period i Ancient Greek jewelsAlthough simple, they were still refined in their manufacturing techniques.
In the temples, on the other hand, there were numerous statues of the gods in gold and ivory, decorated with precious stones, intended for the worship of the citizens of the polis. These precious statues were also a representation of the riches of the city.
The elaborate and sumptuous style of the Hellenistic age
With the vast empire created by Alexander the Great, in the Hellenistic age (XNUMXth-XNUMXnd century BC) Greek culture spread towards Asia and came into contact with new civilizations. Art was greatly influenced by it and so was goldsmithing: new metals and precious stones and new decorative styles arrived from the East. The jewels became increasingly refined and elaborate, both in the workmanship and in the chromatic details, given by the abundance of colored stones such as emeralds, rubies, amethysts, carnelians. Richer decorations appeared on the jewels, inspired by characters and mythological stories. In the last period of Greek history, before the Roman conquest, i jewelry in ancient Greece they became the symbol of a social status of wealth and splendour, in imitation of the lifestyle of oriental princes.
Goldsmith materials and techniques in ancient Greece
The precious metals used by the Greeks came mainly from Asia Minor (present-day Mediterranean Turkey), where many Greek colonies existed since the XNUMXth century. From here came thegold, the most appreciated metal, but also silver and electrum, a natural alloy of gold and silver, which in ancient times was very abundant and was also used to mint coins.
Processing techniques jewelry in ancient Greece they were already advanced even in the most archaic periods: they were known since the Minoan age the embossing, the chisel and granulation, already widespread among the Egyptians and then perfected by Etruscans.
With the arrival of precious stones from the East, the Greeks also learned the art of carving them. Thus the first cameos spread, created above all by engraving sardonyx, a variety of quartz with alternating red and brown layers. Many men's rings were set with carved stones used as a seal for documents.