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Product Description
The Bronze Age European spiral metal handcrafts are unique to their culture and represent stunning ancient aesthetic art as well as craftsmanship. From massive ankle and wrist decorations to small appliqués, the spiral ornamentation permeated much of the body adornment of Central Europe during the Mid to Late Bronze Age. This is a beautiful museum-grade original large spiral pin ornament from this culture. Wealthy class ancient burials only included one or at most, two of these pins, this example being of maximum size. An ancient break exists between the two large spirals but it is otherwise in choice preservation, being complete with superb patina. This is an impressive and supreme example of Europe's Bronze Age art interpretation and jewelry style. Antiquities like these are surely to appreciate in the years to come as all countries that such treasures could once be found have long since instituted strict laws prohibiting their prospecting and digging of any new finds.
Unlike most metal artifacts sold on the market that are untreated and uncleaned, our specimens our properly cleaned, inspected and conserved in our museum conservation lab prior to being offered for sale to our clients. If ancient metal is NOT treated and stabilized correctly, IT WILL CONTINUE TO DISINTEGRATE AND CORRODE, AND COULD EVENTUALLY FALL APART.
SEE MORE ANCIENT EUROPEAN BRONZE AGE ARTIFACTS
SEE MORE ANCIENT CELTIC ARTIFACTS
HISTORY
Around 2000 B.C., barbarian Celtic tribes invaded Europe. They first inhabited regions across Eastern Europe now known as Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and the Balkans. During the Bronze Age, they move westward and by the Iron Age in the 8th to 5th centuries BC, these tribes make their homes in what is now southwest Germany, eastern France and parts of Switzerland and Austria. This era is known as the Hallstat period named after a Celtic archaeological type-site in a lakeside village in Austria. After that, in the La Tene period, western Europe becomes heavily occupied by the Celts as they invade much of Germany, France, the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), the British Islands and Ireland. After this time, Celtic tribes spread eastward again, moving into northern Italy, Bohemia, Silesia, the Balkans and even into present day Turkey with a tribe called the Galatians establishing a Celtic city called Galatia. During the 1st century BC, the Celts were at the height of their power and were the dominant ethnic group in much of Europe, even ruling over the Germanic tribes. Among the many military victories the ancient Celts can lay claim to are the sacking of the cities of Rome and Delphi.
The Celts were largely a decentralized military aristocracy made up of independent chieftains ruling various geographical regions. They were famous to fight just for the sake of fighting and often, they were employed as mercenaries of the great armies of ancient times. Along with their reputations of chivalry, courage and maniacal bravery, their more aggressive tendencies were offset by a great sensitivity to the arts and philosophy. Highly unusual at the time, the Celts viewed both men AND women with equality, holding women in high regard with their matriarchal religion.
One of the famous works the Celts were known for was their masterful works in metalsmithing. Spectacular works can be found all over Europe left behind by Celtic masters in gold, silver, bronze and later, in iron. Much of the influence of Bronze Age European metal ornament lends itself to the influence Celtic master craftspeople.
