Eine kaiserliche Insignie? Der Juwelenkragen aus dem sog. Schatzfund von Assiût

Abstract

The only surviving early Byzantine broad collar with pendants, the so-called Berlin collar (pl. 1- 2,2), was acquired as part of the so-called treasure of Assiût in Cairo in 1909. Based on its technique, the motifs of its pierced-work, and its settings, the collar can be dated to the second half of the 6th or the first half of the 7th century. A date to this period is further corroborated by a pair of bracelets and a necklace from the same treasure (pl. 2,3- 3,1), which were probably made as a set together with the collar.
According to images, collars with pendants were worn by private persons, mythological figures, Constantinopolis, Roma, Maria, Saints, and female members of the imperial family from the 4th century onwards. From the early 5th century onwards, though, such collars seem to have been  reserved for Constantinopolis and Roma, Maria and Agnes in imperia attire, and female members of the imperial family. Thus, broad collars with pendants were probably used as regalia. Such a function is also suggested by two extant collars with pendants from the medieval period: one from Preslav, the other from Mainz. The Berlin collar is abundantly decorated with emeralds, hyacinths (sapphires, one amethyst), and pearls. Thus, it stands out among other pieces of jewellery from the same period, none of which is decorated in a similar way and with the same materials. According to literary sources and images, emeralds, hyacinths, and pearls were used on regalia. The edict Codex Iustinianus 11.12 restricts these materials and  regulates that all imperial jewellery and regalia had to be made in the palatine workshops. The shape and the materials of the Berlin collar, therefore, suggest that it functioned as a regalium for a female member of the imperial family. Thus, it was probably made in Constantinople, and it may have reached Egypt as a votive to an early Byzantine church or pilgrimage shrine.