Reliquary Filigree
| Definition n. Filigree /filligree/:From the Latin 'Filum', meaning 'Thread', and 'Granum' meaning 'Seed'. Filigree is the art of curling, twisting and plaiting fine pliable threads of precious metals, and uniting them at their points of contact by means of gold or Silver solder. Introduction Perfected over millennia, incorporating the ancient proficiencies and styles of vanished civilizations, Filigree is without a doubt one of the oldest and most beauteous art forms known to man. Unlike the mass of jewelry devised today Filigree jewelry is wholly handcrafted, calling for hours of concentration on the percentage of it is maker. The noesis behind Filigree's meticulous creation, passed down from generation to generation, remains a closely guarded mystery held in the hands of lapidary masters stretching from the islands of the Mediterranean sea to the shores of East India. The Egyptians And Filigree Filigree's intricate lace-like trellises are entwined in mystery. For eons it was believed that Filigree had it is origins planted in the classical Greek amount of time 400 years before the birth of Christ. However, in the 1920s archeologists lifted the lid on two of the most substantial finds this century, revealing that Filigree was in fact more than 5000 years old. The initial invention was of a Filigree knife sheath dating from 2600 B.C., found in the royal tomb of the Mesopotamian Queen Pu-Abi. The second was the invention of assorted gold and Silver rings with exquisitely formed Filigree shanks dating from 1350 B.C., found in the legendary tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tut-ankh-amun. The Phoenicians And Filigree Later discoveries, similar to the Egyptian and Mesopotamian Filigree but dating from 1000 B.C. were found in Phoenicia, present day Lebanon. Archeologists concluded that the seafaring Phoenicians had been influenced by the two cultures through widespread trade in gold and Silver. The Phoenicians disseminate their achievements all around the Mediterranean; numerous resolving in southern Italy integrating with the Etruscans, a civilization of the 7th century B.C. consecrated to the arts. The Etruscan artists fused established geometric designs with the Phoenician's oriental influences of floral and figurative designs, refining Filigree to such an extraordinary degree that to this day their designs stay unsurpassed even by innovative jewelers. The Greeks And Filigree In the eastern Mediterranean the Greeks had been using Filigree proficiencies since the time of the Trojan wars and were quick to integrate the refined Etruscan style into their jewelry. Necklaces were fancified with Filigree flowers and tassels, hoop earrings with Filigree disks and rosettes. With the conquests of Alexander the Great Greece attained a wealth of gold and Silver booty plundered from the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Persians and Indians. And from 323 B.C., for the duration of the Hellenistic period, Greek Filigree became prolific from southern Europe to India influencing craftsmen allround the massive empire. The Romans And Filigree By 133 B.C. Rome had absorbed the entirety of the Greek Empire and it is economic wealth. And with the rise of the Roman Empire a new phase of jewelry design was ushered in with the use of colored gemstones. Roman craftsmen employed gold and Silver as settings for emeralds, sapphires, rubies, peridots, garnets and pearls. However, Roman jewelers, in order to emphasize the gems rather than their settings preferent plainer geometric shapes to the elaborate styles of classical Greek jewelry, and proficiencies like Filigree and granulation fell out of fashion. The Byzantines And Filigree By the 4th Century A.D. the Roman Empire in Europe had fallen into the hands of the barbarian tribes of the Goths and Vandals, the 'Dark Ages' ensued and Rome's art forms were lost. However, the East of the Roman Empire known as the Byzantine Empire became a repository of classical learning, sustaining the artistic inheritance of the Greek and Roman artisans. The Byzantine Empire was Christian, and rich, this is reflected in the opulent gold and Silver icons, book covers of gospels and panels of reliquaries crafted in the monasteries. The big surfaces of these objects were encrusted with precious stones cut into cabochons and fancified with fine Filigree, granulation, engravings, and enameling proficiencies known as cloisonné. Filigree Sterling Silver Jewelry Through History Part II - 1000 A.D. To 1900 A.D. Copyright © SilverShake Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Catholic Monstrance Style 3 1/2" Tall RELIQUARY Theca Relic Holder Filigree Work, Catholic 7.5" Tall Wooden Cross with Gold Filigree RELIQUARY Theca Relic Holder, Vintage Filigree Cross Reliquary Pendant,
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