What are the origins of the imagery and designs on common jewelry and portable artwork between late antiquity and the Middle Ages? These dynamic centuries encompass the transformation of the Greco-Roman world into the nascent kingdoms and medieval states upon which most modern European nations are based. The choices of jewelry and other forms of personal expression among the lower classes in ancient times is notoriously difficult to contextualize for a number of reasons. Nonetheless, these precious articles were expressions of individual identity as well as signifiers of rites of passage. As such, they reflect not only the people who wore them, but also the social milieu and artistic trends at that moment in time.
This new study assists in identifying the types, origins and routes of transmission of personal artwork, particularly finger rings, across Europe and Byzantium, an area of study that has been neglected in previous works. Some of this material represents the first time relevant research from Central and Eastern Europe has been translated and made available to the general reader in the English-speaking world.
By:
T.N. Pollio
Imprint: McFarland & Co Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 254mm,
Width: 178mm,
Spine: 10mm
Weight: 358g
ISBN: 9781476681757
ISBN 10: 1476681759
Pages: 191
Publication Date: 28 September 2021
Recommended Age: From 18 years
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Acknowledgments v Preface 1 Introduction 3 Part I: Late Antiquity and the Migration Period 7 The Dark Ages 7 Hannibal ad Portas: the Barbarian Onslaught 9 Part II: The Diffusion of Jewelry Designs Since Late Antiquity 17 Part III: Difficulties in Dating and Identification 21 Part IV: Medieval Societies of Western Europe 24 Frankish and Germanic Kingdoms 24 Frankish Tribes 25 Germanic Tribes 26 Frankish and Germanic Ring Types 28 Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms 33 Part V: Influences from Asiatic Cultures 43 Trade Routes Between Europe and Asia 43 Ancient Cultures of the Eurasian Steppe 45 Asiatic Origin of Certain Zoomorphic Motifs 52 Saltovo and Related Types from the Steppe 61 Kievan Rus and Kipchak Khanate 64 Part VI: The Roads Less Traveled: Central and Eastern Europe 68 Medieval and Modern States 72 The Successor States of the Former Yugoslavia 79 Notable Medieval Cultures 83 Part VII: Common Ring Types from Central and Eastern Europe 89 Religious Rings 91 Magical/Apotropaic and Geometrical Symbols 97 Ring and Dot Patterns 99 Heraldic and Pseudo-Heraldic Rings 101 Heater Shield, Flame and Heart-Shaped Designs 102 Fleur-de-lis 103 Portcullis and Similar Cross-Hatched Patterns 104 Star and Crescent 106 Sword and Arm 107 Avian and Zoomorphic Motifs 109 Architectural, Crowns and Similar Designs 111 Monograms, Merchant's Marks and Personal Seals 112 Quatrefoil, Rosette and Similar Decorative Motifs 114 Plain Hoop and Twisted Wire Designs 117 Cast Types with Faux Gemstones 119 Part VIII: Anthropomorphic Rings from Central and Eastern Europe 121 Part IX: Slavic Stolovat and Similar Jewelry Types 139 Part X: Common Signet Ring Configurations 145 Part XI: Star and Floral Patterns 150 Glossary 155 Chapter Notes 171 Bibliography 177 Index 181
T.N. Pollio is a researcher and historian who lives in East Haven, Connecticut.
