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HOME :
Jewelry and Seals :
Bracelets : Bactrian Silver Torque
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Bactrian Silver Torque - SP.234
Origin: Central Asia
Circa: 330
BC
to 100
BC
Dimensions:
5.5" (14.0cm) depth
Collection: Jewelry
Style: Bactrian-Hellenistic
Medium: Silver
$3,000.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
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A silver necklace in the style of a torque, the
beauty of this item lies in its simplicity. Of
Greco-Bactrian origin, the culture that produced
this item was a synthesis of Alexander’s
Macedonian Greece with that of the local regions
influenced by his conquest. The shape of the
item is circular, formed of silver wire, the closure
being comprised of a short, mushroom-shaped
tail, turned back on itself, that enters a loop on
the other end. The receptacle end is comprised
of wire wound back upon itself in the form of a
hoop and adorned with a spiral disc, resembling
a crown or a sun-disc, that rests atop the torque
wire, just behind the hoop, and then terminates
in a spiral sheath of wire wrapped tightly around
the torque. The wire has been gently twisted so
that a vague spiral pattern appears on the
surface of the metal, moving longitudinally
towards one end or the other. Perhaps other
ornaments, such as rings or gems, might have
hung from the torque when worn around the
neck.
The untold stories that this artifact must bear
silent witness to, carried perhaps by soldiers as
evidence of their conquest, or worn by Bactrian
beauties to adorn the bosom, are tantalizing to
entertain. What can be said about such an item
is that it stands as a testament to the beauty
carried by simplicity, and the noble
craftsmanship of the lands that Alexander
sought to conquer. Perhaps a necklace such as
this was worn by the Bactrian princess Roxanne
on the night of her wedding to Alexander.
- (SP.234)
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