Description
Mounted at the center of this octagonal pendant is a rare coin issued by Constantine the Great, the Roman Empire’s first Christian emperor. Constantine’s portrait appears on the coin’s front, those of two of his sons on the back. Constantine’s image is surrounded by male and female busts, some of which are mythological figures. The pendant once formed the centerpiece of a sumptuous gold necklace, likely a gift for a high-ranking court official or member of the imperial family. This larger necklace is thought to have included four additional coin-set pendants—two hexagonal and two circular, now in Washington, DC (Dumbarton Oaks), London (British Museum), and Paris (Musée du Louvre).
Provenance
(Mr. Jean-Luc Chalmin, London, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (?-1994); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1994-)
Accession Number
1994.98
Medium
gold
Dimensions
N/A
Classification
Jewelry
Credit Line
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund