Late Antiquity 3/29 - Dumbarton Oaks

Standing in a blue shell, Aphrodite Anadyomene wrings seawater from her hair. The pose was well known in antiquity, referring to the goddess’s birth from the sea, of which the deep blue color of the lapis lazuli is a visual metaphor. The harmony of…

Images of wild animals were often used on jewelry and regalia in the ancient world. They could symbolize the wearer’s strength or character or connote status within a group, whether within a ruling elite, a religious cult, or a social status. This…

Crescent-shaped earrings were the most popular style of Byzantine gold earrings in the sixth and seventh centuries. The jewelry was formed from sheet gold using the openwork technique, by cutting away the background and leaving the image as a…

with Christ, Bride, and Groom

disk from the Bezel of a Marriage Ring with profile busts of a Man and Woman Facing Each other to either side of a cross

This small, largely intact tunic features added decorative elements in tapestry weave and embroidery on a brown ground; there is significant soiling throughout the fabric. The neckline and sleeves of the tunic feature remnants of tapestry-woven…