Gold pendant
The medallion-shaped, hollow pendant is composed of two hammered gold sheet discs. The upper disc, flat at the edge and with a raised central section, which has a truncated-conical depression in the centre, is decorated using chip-carving and cloisonné techniques and richly embellished with granulation and gemstone inlays.
The centre is formed by a large hemispherical red stone (garnet) set in a high mount, surrounded by a beaded wire and a simple ring of 28 granules (granulae). From this point, four upright triangles, each consisting of eleven granules, are arranged in a star-like pattern on the inner concave surface. Corresponding to these, in the same axial alignment, are four similar triangles of ten granules above a simple granulation ring on the convex outer surface of the central boss.
On the shoulder of the raised section, 16 small hemispherical red stone inlays (garnets and glass) are set into the surface in a continuous arrangement; in the spaces between them, shifted slightly toward the inner edge, are 16 groups of three granules arranged in granulation.
The decorative bands on the flat rim of the disc are framed by beaded wire: on the inside is a zigzag band composed of 54 triangular, flat garnet plaques in the cloisonné technique; on the outside is a surrounding strip with a triple zigzag ornament in the chip-carving technique. The outermost edge of the disc is bordered by a simple beaded wire.
The underside is closed by a second, undecorated gold sheet disc soldered around the edge, which, corresponding to the curvature of the upper plate, is depressed in the centre in a truncated-conical form and has a V-shaped incision in the middle. The suspension device consists of two profiled ring loops on a common base plate, which is attached to the decorated disc with seven rivets. Due to traces of an earlier attachment on the underside, this represents a later repair.
The pendant, referred to in the literature as a medallion or bulla, was worn like the imperial medallions on a necklace (perhaps made of leather) and today shows clear traces of use.
Based on the form and technique of the decorative strips, which correspond to the individual frames of the imperial medallions, the pendant originates from the same workshop: the cloisonné band can be compared with the decorative frame of the gold medallion of Maximianus, while the chip-carved decoration corresponds to the frame of the gold medallion of Constantius II.
Technique and Preservation
The composition and technical construction of the pendant are made clear by a cross-section through the disc and suspension:
1. Upper gold sheet disc (diameter/thickness: 0.5 mm), hammered and depressed on both sides with a punch into a truncated-conical form. On the raised section are perforations for the settings of the 16 small stone inlays.
2. Lower gold sheet disc (0.6 mm), hammered and centrally depressed over a hollow space with a punch into a hemispherical form. The upper and lower discs were soldered together around the edge; to allow the escape of air during soldering, a V-shaped incision was cut into the centre of the lower plate.
3. Beaded wire, soldered on.
4. Decorative strip in chip-carving technique, forged. The gold sheet strip was rolled into a flat ring and soldered together. The V-shaped cut-outs were made with a cutting tool, while the grooves were produced with a punch; afterwards, the worked ring was soldered onto the plate.
5. Decorative strip in cloisonné technique. Two gold sheet strips were rolled into two rings of different sizes and soldered onto the plate. The dividing elements consist of zigzag-shaped and short sheet-metal strips fitted and soldered between them. Beneath the inserted triangular, flat gemstones was a mastic filling.
6. Ring made of granules, soldered on.
7. Settings for stone inlays. The small hemispherical stones are mounted in small gold sheet cups, which are soldered to the inside of the raised section.
8. Cover plate for fastening and securing the settings. A gold sheet strip was formed into a truncated cone, placed beneath the setting cups on the inside, and soldered below to the wall.
9. Stone inlay. Setting made of a rolled and soldered gold sheet strip. Beneath the inserted hemispherical stone was a mastic filling.
10. Base plates for suspension, hammered, with a punched decorative edge on the front side.
11. Rivets made of gold wire with hemispherical heads.
12. A suspension loop made of a rolled, profiled gold sheet strip, soldered to both base plates.
The gold content of the pendant is 92.6% (disc) and 92.3% (ring loop). The trace components include silver (4.5% in each case) and copper (3% in the disc and 3.3% in the ring loop).
The pendant is slightly deformed and partially compressed in the area of the raised central section. The entire surface is scratched and shows clear signs of wear: the outer beaded wire—except in the area of the suspension—is almost completely worn away, as are the 16 groups of three granules on the raised section, some of which are missing.
The upper outer surfaces of the double suspension loops have been evenly worn down almost to the middle by abrasion from the necklace or neck cord. Of the 16 stone settings on the shoulder, two are empty: one stone inlay is now lost, while the second, which had been pushed into the hollow interior, is now loose.
