Biconical Bead Necklace
Geometric Period (800–600 BCE)
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
3.6 × 5.1 × 3.6 cm (1 3/8 × 2 × 1 3/8 in.)
Classification
votive offering
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
210760
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
These precious bronze objects are votives, or devotional gifts, which were offered to the gods. They come in many forms. Some are miniature sculptures of animals, primarily horses, deer, and birds. Others are items of personal adornment, including beads and brooches. Many seem once to have been attached to something else. This assemblage is characteristic of the thousands of votives that were hung from sacred trees or placed in sanctuaries around Greece. Once a shrine was full, the votives were ...
About the Artist
Ancient Greek
The artist known simply as "Ancient Greek" represents the anonymous masters of Attic vase painting, a cornerstone of Classical Greek art from the Archaic and Classical periods (circa 700–300 BCE). Little is known of their personal life, as ancient Greek potters and painters rarely signed their works or left biographical traces; early life and training remain not well documented. These creators ope...