Diadem of Twenty-Five Beads with Spiral Motifs

Place of OriginGreece, probably from the Peloponnesos or Crete

Date14th to 12th century BCE

DimensionsL: 1 3/16 in. (3.0 cm); W: 7/16 in. (1.1 cm); Depth: 3/16 in. (.5 cm)

MediumCast blue glass

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1975.66A-Y

Not on View

DescriptionGroup of twenty-five dark blue rectangular beads. Each bead has an uneven top surface featuring three raised clockwise spirals set vertically, each with two turns rising to a central point. Narrow segmented horizontal ridges separate the spirals, and a large segmented ridge marks the top. The underside is flat. Each bead has transverse threadholes at both short ends. Cast in open, one-piece molds. Stress marks are visible on the undersides. Most are intact, with four beads broken and repaired, several with small chips. Iridescence, pitting, and white weathering present.

Label TextThese twenty-five glass beads were likely strung together in a diadem worn around the head, or perhaps sewn onto a garment as appliques. Their molded spiral designs and vivid blue color link them to elite Mycenaean aesthetics. Cast in one-piece molds, the beads reflect the technical sophistication of Late Bronze Age workshops in Greece. Glass was rare and symbolically charged, often associated with prestige and palatial networks.Published ReferencesGrose, David F., Early Ancient Glass: Core-formed, Rod-Formed, and Cast Vessels and Objects from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Roman Empire, 1600 B.C. to A.D. 50, New York, Hudson Hills Press in association with the Toledo Museum of Art, 1989, cat. no. 24, p. 64, repr. (col.) p. 44.