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Comments
Oh Betty, the back is just as beautiful. What an enormous lucky find. Congratulations with big letters.
Gr. Ingrid. Thank you for showing.
This is similar to the one I have
I got mine years ago from a Russian guy. Did they say where yours is from? I think these are Bulgarian but can not swear to it.
Yes, I saw yours... mine was entirely misrepresented as Tibetan. So unfortunately no clue here.
Bulgaria would be the obvious guess, but Alaa came up with the interesting theory that it might as well be Greek (possibly from Anatolia).
I think Greek makes sense , since it's very similar and if you look at the posted necklace that Peter posted in gilt it also shows similar style tassels. Must be from the Ottoman area where Christians were. Looks to me like it would have been like mine, having bone fragments in it? Mine does, so it's inside a relic. these might have been tourist items sold at Church sites of pilgrimage. Remember going to a Church in Greece that was occupied by one of the Saints and is still functioning like this. Also could be Armenian ? I have less knowledge of the actual technical issues that separate jewelry as it all looks similar from these regions. One would have to take a large collection like Peters and put side by side some of the pieces for comparison to see the actual mechanics to be sure where some are from. Particulars like the tassel and granulation are important since not many of the pieces have both techniques as these do. Also on mine , that spiral on the chain is significant , seen it before and would say could be an identifier.
Hello Betty,
I had a (long) look at your relic cross, and must admit that I don't know these pendants as such.
Then, for lack of better, I focused on the lower elements of the side dangles. I think that they allow me to say, that Central and western Anatolia can be ruled out (I never saw such dangles on any jewelry from that area). On the other hand, as far as I could compare with other late-Ottoman jewels, two regions seem to emerge with similar dangles: eastern Anatolia (which would main an Armenian or Assyrian/Chaldean workshop), and Bulgaria/Macedonia (and here the artisan would have been Bulgarian, Macedonian or Greek).
Linda's cross is certainly from the same 'family', but - alas - a Russian seller/go-between has direct (and equal) access to both Bulgarian as Armenian sources...
Hoping to have been of any help. With kind regards. JM.
Thank you so much, Jean-Marie for taking the time to looks at this piece. It's really seems a mystery. As you are saying there is the Bulgarian/Macedonian/Greek and the Armenian Faction with equally strong arguments....anyway it is good to have a confirmation that most likely it is one of these two regions of origin. Your help is as mich appreciated as your wonderful posts! Warmly, Betty