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Lot Essay
Though this group includes pieces with different functions, in terms of technique they are fairly homogenous. The two large pairs of earrings, the chains, and the necklace or belt fittings are of box construction with extensive use of filigree. On the decorated surfaces, the plaques are made from single flat wires manipulated into scrolling shapes within supporting frames made from twisted ropes. These elements would have been arranged on a flat surface and are held together by applied supports. On all the filigree pieces in the group, those supports take the form of circular tie-plates applied to junctions between elements, which are likely spherical granules which have been hammered flat. These circular tie-plates are most associated with jewellery of Iranian manufacture, and the combination of wires, ropes, and circular tie-plates is similar to the structure of a pendant in the Khalili Collection, attributed by Jack Ogden and Michael Spink to 12th or 13th century Iran (Jack Ogden and Michael Spink, The Art of Adornment, Part One, Oxford, 2013, p.184, no.89, discussed further p.73). The radiating design in the filigree work on the obverse of that earring, in which a wire is repeatedly bent back on itself to form leaf-like motifs within a framing circle, resembles parts of the filigree work on our earrings, particularly the curved panels which enclose the feline figures on three sides on both the front and back of the large disc earrings. They also include small domical elements rather like those at each end of the octahedral beads in the present lot.
Unlike that example in the Khalili collection, most of the filigree pieces in this group have granulation applied. Although Fatimid jewellery typically has rows of grains added in the groove between two twisted wires, on all of the pieces in this group granulation is applied slightly differently. On the large animal earrings, the flat belt or necklace fittings, and the four chains, granulation is added to the borders with the grains dropped into the two wells created by an S-shaped piece of wire. They are thus more spaced out than they appear on Fatimid pieces. The exceptions to these are the octahedral beads and the openwork plaques, which lack granulation altogether, and the rectangular plaques upon which grains have been added to the tie-plates. This style of granulation once again finds parallels in the Khalili Collection, including two lunate earrings of Iranian origin (Ogden and Spink, op.cit., nos.97 and 98, pp.190-1). Both earrings also include granulated loops to the exterior, similar to those which appear on the large disc earrings in this group.
The animals in the disc earrings - the larger with lion figures, the smaller with paired birds - are constructed from 'true' filigree, using only gold wires and lacking any solid core. The structural principles are little different from the domes which appear on the pairs of chains also in this group, with the filigree bent probably around a forming mould. The body of the lion also resembles a hollow amulet case in the Khalili Collection (Ogden and Spink, op.cit., no.187, p.231). Similar paired birds appear on two earrings (acc.no.2006.273a and b) and a pendant (acc.no.2007.340) in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. An earring with a single bird, also in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is known to have been excavated in Rayy (acc.no.22.201). The examples in the Metropolitan Museum of Art have loops around the circumference as with our earrings, though rather than being granulated as on ours they are plain and topped by granulated domes. Those domes, however, resemble the elements used to construct the heads of the felines in the larger earrings. The most unusual element shared by both pairs of earrings are the elaborate tails. They were constructed from shaped wires which had granulation added along the edge, arranged into pyramids, which have then been hammered flat. Though unusual and visually striking, once again the technique is rooted in other elements of the earrings. The filigree pattern in the border of the large earrings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art includes a sequence of wire-filled roundels, very similar to those in our lion earrings. Also similar are a pair of lunate earrings with inset birds in the Khalili Collection, there attributed to Egypt or Syria (Ogden and Spink, op.cit., p.143, no.49). Though the birds themselves are similar, other elements of the earrings - such as the arrangement of granulation along pairs of twisted ropes and the internal tie plates - are more typically Fatimid than the structure of our examples.
The four chains in the group are similar to other known examples, such as one in the Khalili Collection (Ogden and Spink, op.cit., no.63,p.150) and another from a private collection exhibited at Spink and Son Ltd., 14 October - 1 November 1996, no.68). Both are attributed to Syria, the former to the 'Fatimid or post-Fatimid' period, the latter to the Ayyubid era. Both are of filigree box construction, with circular tie-plates attached to the surface. In terms of the granulation and the arrangement of flat wires, they are very similar to the large animal earrings also in this group. A similar chain in the State Historical Museum, Moscow is also of similar form, and likely to have been excavated in Southern Russia. Though these chains may have been intended for use as bracelets or earrings, it has also been suggested that they may have been hanging elements similar to the kolti associated with Kyivan Rus', examples of which are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (acc.no.17.190.706). Two similar elements were in a group offered Sotheby's London, 5 October 2011, lot 207. These chains are thus likely to have a Syrian origin, though given the connectivity of the Seljuk domain an Iranian attribution is also possible.
The large bracelets are constructed with 'reflexive-spiral terminals' in the central mount, a feature which is described by Jack Ogden as diagnostic of an Iranian manufacture. This refers to a style of pin-clasp set along a cross bar. In order to add strength to that bar, and prevent it warping, each end of the cross bar is folded back onto itself into a coil. This created pairs of large bosses to either side of a clasp, which in the case of bracelets were often then decorated with granulation and filigree elements (for a fuller discussion of this clasp type, see Ogden and Spink, p.173). Although there is a clasp on our bracelets, the broad band is stiff with no hinge: this is similar to an ornamented example in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. (Esin Atil et al., Islamic Metalwork in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., 1985, no.4, p.65). The fact that the band is largely undecorated aside from some applied wire is unusual for gold, but encountered on silver examples such as a pair of armlets in the Khalili Collection, attributed to the 11th-13th century and associated with Iran (Ogden and Spink, p.266, no.225).
Unlike that example in the Khalili collection, most of the filigree pieces in this group have granulation applied. Although Fatimid jewellery typically has rows of grains added in the groove between two twisted wires, on all of the pieces in this group granulation is applied slightly differently. On the large animal earrings, the flat belt or necklace fittings, and the four chains, granulation is added to the borders with the grains dropped into the two wells created by an S-shaped piece of wire. They are thus more spaced out than they appear on Fatimid pieces. The exceptions to these are the octahedral beads and the openwork plaques, which lack granulation altogether, and the rectangular plaques upon which grains have been added to the tie-plates. This style of granulation once again finds parallels in the Khalili Collection, including two lunate earrings of Iranian origin (Ogden and Spink, op.cit., nos.97 and 98, pp.190-1). Both earrings also include granulated loops to the exterior, similar to those which appear on the large disc earrings in this group.
The animals in the disc earrings - the larger with lion figures, the smaller with paired birds - are constructed from 'true' filigree, using only gold wires and lacking any solid core. The structural principles are little different from the domes which appear on the pairs of chains also in this group, with the filigree bent probably around a forming mould. The body of the lion also resembles a hollow amulet case in the Khalili Collection (Ogden and Spink, op.cit., no.187, p.231). Similar paired birds appear on two earrings (acc.no.2006.273a and b) and a pendant (acc.no.2007.340) in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. An earring with a single bird, also in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is known to have been excavated in Rayy (acc.no.22.201). The examples in the Metropolitan Museum of Art have loops around the circumference as with our earrings, though rather than being granulated as on ours they are plain and topped by granulated domes. Those domes, however, resemble the elements used to construct the heads of the felines in the larger earrings. The most unusual element shared by both pairs of earrings are the elaborate tails. They were constructed from shaped wires which had granulation added along the edge, arranged into pyramids, which have then been hammered flat. Though unusual and visually striking, once again the technique is rooted in other elements of the earrings. The filigree pattern in the border of the large earrings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art includes a sequence of wire-filled roundels, very similar to those in our lion earrings. Also similar are a pair of lunate earrings with inset birds in the Khalili Collection, there attributed to Egypt or Syria (Ogden and Spink, op.cit., p.143, no.49). Though the birds themselves are similar, other elements of the earrings - such as the arrangement of granulation along pairs of twisted ropes and the internal tie plates - are more typically Fatimid than the structure of our examples.
The four chains in the group are similar to other known examples, such as one in the Khalili Collection (Ogden and Spink, op.cit., no.63,p.150) and another from a private collection exhibited at Spink and Son Ltd., 14 October - 1 November 1996, no.68). Both are attributed to Syria, the former to the 'Fatimid or post-Fatimid' period, the latter to the Ayyubid era. Both are of filigree box construction, with circular tie-plates attached to the surface. In terms of the granulation and the arrangement of flat wires, they are very similar to the large animal earrings also in this group. A similar chain in the State Historical Museum, Moscow is also of similar form, and likely to have been excavated in Southern Russia. Though these chains may have been intended for use as bracelets or earrings, it has also been suggested that they may have been hanging elements similar to the kolti associated with Kyivan Rus', examples of which are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (acc.no.17.190.706). Two similar elements were in a group offered Sotheby's London, 5 October 2011, lot 207. These chains are thus likely to have a Syrian origin, though given the connectivity of the Seljuk domain an Iranian attribution is also possible.
The large bracelets are constructed with 'reflexive-spiral terminals' in the central mount, a feature which is described by Jack Ogden as diagnostic of an Iranian manufacture. This refers to a style of pin-clasp set along a cross bar. In order to add strength to that bar, and prevent it warping, each end of the cross bar is folded back onto itself into a coil. This created pairs of large bosses to either side of a clasp, which in the case of bracelets were often then decorated with granulation and filigree elements (for a fuller discussion of this clasp type, see Ogden and Spink, p.173). Although there is a clasp on our bracelets, the broad band is stiff with no hinge: this is similar to an ornamented example in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. (Esin Atil et al., Islamic Metalwork in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., 1985, no.4, p.65). The fact that the band is largely undecorated aside from some applied wire is unusual for gold, but encountered on silver examples such as a pair of armlets in the Khalili Collection, attributed to the 11th-13th century and associated with Iran (Ogden and Spink, p.266, no.225).