Travelling to Iran to visit an exhihibition is not something easy to do. Therefore it's wonderful if musea do exchange collections. For the gorgeous treasures of the National Museum in Iran, Tehran, I only had to travel to the Drents Museum in Assen.
The amount of gold jewellery in the exhibition "Iran - Cradle of Civilisation" was staggering. In this photo review I show jewellery pieces from 2600 BC till around 330 BC. Gradually you see how the metalsmiths evolve in their skills.
The Drents Museum did an excellent job in showing the pieces. The catalogue gives all the nessecary background in understanding the time period. All pieces are on loan from the National Museum of Iran, Tehran.
The oldest pieces of jewellery of the exhibition are these tasteful selected semi-precious stone necklace and bracelet. These pieces do not contain any metals. Dating of the bracelet, found in Shahdad, is 2600-2400BC. The necklace was found in Tappeh Hissar, 2400-2200BC. This puts them in bronze timeperiod.
Golden necklace found in Kaluraz. 850-550BC.
This gold necklace was buried along with a rich woman in the cementery of Kaluraz, a short distance southwest of the Caspian Sea. 850-550BC.
Earrings found in a womansgrave in Kaluraz, southwest of the Caspian sea. 850 - 550 BC.
The left picture shows the findings from a grave in Jubaji containing two women (found in 2007AD). The wealth of this grave indicates they belonged to the former elite. On the right is a golden chain from the grave of the Jubaji princesses. 585 - 539 BC. Looks like it is a loop-in-loop chain.
This gold bracelet inlaid with onyx is one of the most valuable ornaments from the Jubaji tomb of princesses. 585 - 539 BC. In the Old World the Etruscan people were know for this technic but I found in this Iran exhibition many beautiful examples of this style.
Again three jewellery pieces from the grave of the Jubaji princesses. 585 - 539 BC. A massive golden bracelet with granulation. An elaborate brooche with an amazing deep golden colour. It must be of high carat. The ring is a faux-granulation but very effective using the punch technique. I like this ring a lot.
An impressive golden lionheaded bracelet. Size 12 x 9 cm, found in Hamedan. 550-330BC.
A very elaborate earring found in Pasargadae. 559-331 BC.
Granulation is still in fashion in this agate necklace. Found in Stalakhjan, 559-331 BC.
Sources:
The exhibition texts of Iran - Cradle of Civilisation.
Drs. V.T. van Vilsteren en Dr. J. Nokandeh - Iran, Bakermat van de beschaving - Drents Museum en WBOOKS, Zwolle.
