Condition
See Cats. 534.1—534.30
Description
The necklace consists of 29 irregular globular mosaic face beads and one face pendant. Around the central part of each bead are mosaic florets representing female faces that in most cases alternate with florets with geometrical patterns, arranged in a band. This central band is framed on top and bottom with a wide colored band of glass. Beads 1–4, 8–15, 18–19, 21–28, and 30 have a vertical thread hole that tapers slightly upward. Beads 5–7, 17, 20, and 29 have a vertical thread hole that tapers slightly downward.
Comments and Comparanda
On mosaic face beads, see comments on cat. 535. For dating, see Stern, Eva Marianne, and Birgit Schlick–Nolte. 1994. Early Glass of the Ancient World, 1600 B.C.–A.D. 50: Ernesto Wolf Collection. Ostfildern: Gerd Hatje., pp. 410–413, nos. 149–153; Maeda, Akiyu. 2001. “Early Glass.” In Ancient Glass / Kodai garasu, 17–20. Shigaraki: Miho Museum, 2001., no. 105. For another green pendant, but with faces set in red squares, see Sangiorgi, Giorgio. 1914. Collezione di vetri antichi dalle origini al V sec. D.C. Milan: Bestetti and Tumminelli., no. 254; Ancient Glass Formerly in the G. Sangiorgi Collection. Christies, New York, Sale 3 July 1999. https://www.christies.com/en/auction/ancient-glass-formerly-in-the-g-sangiorgi-collection–9591., lot 81: https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-1519732.
Provenance
By 1974–1988, Erwin Oppenländer, 1901–1988 (Waiblingen, Germany), by inheritance to his son, Gert Oppenländer, 1988; 1988–2003, Gert Oppenländer (Waiblingen, Germany), sold to the J. Paul Getty Museum, 2003
Bibliography
Saldern von, Axel, Birgit Nolte, Peter La Baume, and Thea Elisabeth Haevernick. 1974. Gläser der Antike. Sammlung Erwin Oppenländer. Mainz: von Zabern., p. 126, no. 334; p. 120, plate no. 334.
Wight, Karol. 2011. Molten Color: Glassmaking in Antiquity. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum., pp. 102, 106, fig. 73.
Exhibitions
Gläser der Antike: Sammlung Erwin Oppenländer (Hamburg and Cologne, 1974–1975)