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Irene Forstner-Müller – Pamela Rose (eds.), Nubian Pottery from Egyptian Cultural Contexts of the Middle and Early New Kingdom. Proceedings of a Workshop held at the Austrian Archaeological Institute at Cairo, 1–12 December 2010, ErghÖJh 13 (Vienna 2012).
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Projects: Geographical Overview
Finger ring, copper alloy, Efes Müzesi Selçuk Inv. 12/39/92 (© OeAI, N. Gail)
Earring, gold, Efes Müzesi Selçuk Inv. 69/42/93 (© OeAI, N. Gail)
Earring, silver, Efes Müzesi Selçuk Inv. 3/5/94 (© OeAI, N. Gail)
Cross pendant, copper alloy, Efes Müzesi Selçuk Inv. 58/32/82 (© OeAI, N. Gail)
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Byzantine Small Finds from Ephesos
Belt buckle, copper alloy, Efes Müzesi Selçuk Inv. 4/21/90 (© OeAI, N. Gail)
The Byzantine small finds of non-ferrous and precious metals comprise approximately 1,000 objects. The large group of objects of jewellery and clothing attachments are subdivided into rings, earrings and bracelets, pendants, needles, brooches and belt buckles.
For example, 12 buckles with rectangular fittings and representations of animals come from Ephesos and its vicinity; these are made of copper alloy and can be dated to between the late 9th and the early 11th century A.D. A number of belt buckle fittings display a lion in profile striding to the left, with frontally depicted head; the depictions here are all rather stylised and schematic. Other buckles show griffins or a winged horse. Preliminary results of the investigation into their technological production reveal that this mid-Byzantine type was probably produced by a number of workshops.
The finger rings comprise a variety of types: whereas rounded rings with cross motifs or cross monograms are preserved from the 6th and 7th centuries, a number of rings with a representation of a pentagram are known from the middle Byzantine period; in this latter group, the hoops widen considerably towards the bezel.
The spectrum of Ephesian earrings extends from simple filament earrings with eye hook closure, to extremely high-quality examples of the half-moon type with consistently wide form and spherical closure. These examples are occasionally decorated with granulation-, bead-filament-, and round-filament ornament. Typical for the mid-Byzantine epoch is, for example, the type of earring with free-standing triangular granulation, known in a variety of materials and qualities.
Also worthy of mention is the group of crosses which for the most part are produced from copper alloy and silver. Small cross pendants, which are interpreted as an expression of personal faith, are very frequently decorated with the circle-point ornament typical for the Byzantine period. From the standpoint of technical production, there are a number of possibilities for creating this decorative element, for example before or after casting, or via the use of differing types of punches and/or borers. In addition, processional crosses are also known from Ephesos, decorated with aniconic and iconic representations. Most of the crosses, however, belong to the group of middle Byzantine reliquary crosses, composed of two halves, and with decoration which is either cast or engraved. The most common pictorial theme depicts on the front side Christ on the cross, flanked by John and Mary, with the representation of Mary praying, surrounded by busts of the four Evangelists on the reverse. The materials which were contained within the reliquary crosses have not been preserved.