Paire de boucles d'oreille byzantine Lot n° 8

East, 8th-10th century Gold necklace decorated with inlaid garnets and filigree, consisting of a large buckle decorated with a disk in front of the filigree outline and gem in the center. It is soldered a three-sided pendant consisting of five hollow spheres enhanced with three pear-shaped garnets surrounded by filigree. Gross weight: 11g. H. 5.5 cm A pair of Byzantine Gold Earrings, circa 8th-10th century An elegant Byzantine matched pair of gold earrings, each composed of a wire hoop with discoid plaque, featuring a central granule and a filigranee border, a rigid pendant below composed of a cylindrical ribbed collar supporting a cluster of five hollow spheres fronted by three drop-shaped gem set. Byzantine jewelry is a continuation of Roman traditions. As in many other ancient cultures, Byzantine jewelry acted not only as an ornament, but more importantly as a sign of wealth and social status of the owner. Interestingly, it was also a diplomatic tool. We know from literary sources that the production of precious metals and jewelry in imperial workshops was controlled by the imperial treasury, or officinum, which oversaw the imperial factories that manufactured precious metals.