my coffee table book

Crafts OF HISTORY







DECLARATION I, Devika Singh from FYS-Section E hereby declare that all digital and written work appearing in this book as part of my Imaging course 15th week submission under the academic guidance of my course faculty is my own and all sources of knowledge used have been duly acknowledged. I will be solely responsible for any irregularity found with respect to non-adherence of academic integrity as per ISDI School of Design and Innovation’s standards and requirements.



Crafts OF HISTORY DEVIKA SINGH FYS E



CONTENTS Tutankhamen’s Tomb 1 Ishtar Gate 3 Queen Puabi’s Headdress 5 Etruscan Fibula 7 Serpent Bracelet 9 Gold Diadem 11 Bird Fibula 13 Lapis Lazuli 15 Minoan Gold Pendant 17 Mycenaean Gold Funerery Mask 19

Tutankhamun, the Egyptian ruler 1

TUTANKHAMEN’S TOMB The discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen revealed the fabulous treasures that accompanied an Egyptian sovereign, during his lifetime as well as after his death, as well as the higher degree of mastery attained by Egyptian goldsmiths and craftsmen. The collection represents the biggest in the world of gold and jewellery. The scarab, Isis knot, Horus eye, falcon, serpent and sphinx are all motif symbols tied up with such religious cults as the cult of the pharoahs, the gods and the cult of the dead. In the Egyptian jewellery, the use of gold is predominant and is complemented with carnelian, turquoise and lapis lazuli. Dated 1340 BC Found in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo 2

The Ishtar Gate 3

THE ISHTAR GATE It was the eighth gate to the inner city of Babylon. Thought to have been built around 575 BC during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II, the gate was dedicated to the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. It was part of a grand walled processional way leading into the city. The walls were finished in glazed bricks mostly in blue, with animals and deities in low relief at intervals, these also made up of bricks that are molded and coloured differently. In 1899, the German archaeologist Robert Koldeway began excavating the city of Babylon. The finds from his excavation were used to create a life size construction of the gate, which was completed in 1930. Dated 575 BC Found in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin 4

Queen Puabi’s Headdress 5

QUEEN PUABI’S HEADDRESS This ornate headdress was found with the body of Queen Puabi in the Royal Cemetery of Ur. It is made up of twenty gold leaves, two strings of lapis and carnelian, and a large gold comb. In addition, she wore chok- ers, necklaces and large lunate shaped earrings. Her upper body was covered by strands of beads made of precious metal and semi-precious stones that stretched from her shoulders to her belt. Two attendants were found in the chamber with Queen Puabi, one crouched near her head and the other at her feet. Dated 2400 BC Found in the Penn Museum, Philadelphia 6

Etruscan Fibula 7

ETRUSCAN FIBULA The gold fibula was found in a grave in Castelluccio di Pienza, near Chiusi in Tuscany. It has a serpentine bow and a long sheath, and was used to attach the flaps of a man’s tunic and was probably made in the sec- ond half of the seventh century BC. At that time, goldsmith work was undergoing a remarkable renaissance which can be attributed to the wealth of the Etruscans, based on their development of mining. Dated 7th Century BC Found in the Louvre Museum, Paris 8

Serpent Bracelet 9

SERPENT BRACELET Discovered near Corinth, this bronze bracelet testifies to the flowering of Greek jewellery during the third and the fourth century BC. The ends of the pieces are fashioned in the shape of a serpent, whose sinous body decorated with engraved scales, extends the fine spiraling band forming the central part of the bracelet. Snakes, traditionally asso- ciated with the underworld, were a favourite motif of the Greeks, possibly due to the widespread belief in magic powers. Dated 3rd to 4th Century BC Found in the Louvre Museum, Paris 10

Gold Diadem 11

GOLD DIADEM The diadems are worthy of high consideration that came into wide use as a result of the Persian conquests made by Alexander the Great. One type is a rigid elliptical shape with a Hercules knot in the centre and pendants hanging down over the forehead Another example, decorated with jewel-like enameled flowers, demonstrates the increasing use of colour during the Hellenistic Age. Dated 3rd Century BC Found in the Museo Nazionale di Taranto, Italy 12

Bird Fibula 13

BIRD FIBULA This fibula was found in Pietroasa, in Romania, whose body is covered with sockets of different sizes and shapes in which stones and enamel were meant to be set The most widely used type of fibula was the so-called buckler variety with a fan head, arched bridge, and flat or molded feet, with pierced work in various shapes. Dated 4th Century BC Found in the National Museum of History, Bucharest, Romania 14

Lapis Lazuli 15

LAPIS LAZULI Jewellery made of Lapis Lazuli, the stone predominantly found in the city of Ur in Mesopotamia was widely found in the Sumerian civilisation. It was valued even above gold. It is a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color. The tombs found in the city of Ur contained some of the most significant items of craft and jewellery in the study of Mesopotamia. Dated 2600 BC Found in the Metropolitan Museum, New York 16

Minoan Gold Pendant 17

MINOAN GOLD PENDANT A pendant from a Minoan tomb at Mallia, Crete is one of the most perfect masterpieces of jewellery. The sun’s disk is covered with granulation and is help up by two bees, forming the central part of the composi- tion. Ring bezels with relief engravings of highly animated pastoral scenes, cults, hunting and war are also visible in the designs. Dated 17th Century BC Found in the Archaeological Museum at Ir’aklion, Crete 18

Mycenaean Gold Funerary Mask 19

MYCENAEAN GOLD FUNERARY MASK The kings from Period I of Mycenaean Civilisation, discovered in their burial places wore masks of gold sheets and scattered over their clothing were dozens of stamped gold disks. The disks reveal the rich variety of decorative motifs used by the Myceneans in shapes such as round, rec- tangular, ribbon shaped, etc. Dated 1580 - 1500 BC Found in the Archaeological Museum, Greece 20



CITATIONS Encyclopaedia Britannica - The History of Jewellery Wikipedia - Mesopotamia Arts Paperturn - Publications Google Arts and Culture www.pinterest.com www.googleimages.com www.metmuseum.org www.britannica.com www.gemsociety.org www.louvre.fr www.heraklion.gr www.museotaranto.org www.penn.museum www.smb.museum www.visitberlin.de www.antiques.gov.eg