Necklace

Necklace as preserved (and strung in the museum) consists of 47 squat, hemispherical beads with two lion-head terminals and a large pendant in the form of a hollow female head with plain, flat back. The lion-terminals are constructed of sheet gold, with fine archaic detail, but the female head pendant is silver gilt; silver shows through on the back, flat surface. The beads, of exceedingly thin gold sheet (almost foil) alternate plain surfaces with sections covered in a decorative pattern of three-petalled lotus blossoms in repoussé, set off by a background of punched dots. The repoussé lotuses are so finely worked that they resemble granulation. The lion-head terminals are constructed of two longitudinal halves of sheet gold in repoussé. The head pendant is very carefully finished with smooth back and no trace of construction techniques; she has an oval face framed by a triangular hairline of a single row of thick, round curls, beneath a flat diadem and domed crown, small, pursed mouth and slanted attenuated almond eyes. Twisted wire has been added to outline the diadem; thin, fine wire forms a row of 3- and 4-petalled flowers on the surface of her diadem, and is used for her collar/necklace. The head-pendant is attached to the necklace by a suspension loop of sheet gold covered in front by a sheet gold rosette. The necklace is very short as preserved, and probably is missing a number of beads; the face-pendant is slightly dented.