Bracelet
Bracelet
Place of OriginCyprus, excavated by 1873
Date1050-310 BCE
Dimensions3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm)
Mediummetal, possibly bronze
ClassificationJewelry
Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number
1916.138
Not on View
The bronze objects (1916.134–1916.149) reflect Cyprus’s early mastery of copper, a resource so central to the island that its Latin name, cuprum, derives from Cyprus itself. Bronze Age weapons, including a dagger (1916.149), attest to early casting traditions, while later Roman-period tools reveal long-term continuity in everyday practices. Tweezers (1916.147), cosmetic implements (1916.144–145), mirrors (1916.135–136), and a rare buckle (1916.146) point to routines of personal care across centuries.
The glass vessels (1916.150–1916.165) document a different technological transformation. Most are Roman blown glass, produced after the invention of the blowpipe in the first century BCE, a development that shifted glassmaking from a luxury craft to large-scale production. One earlier ribbed bowl (1916.153), formed by slumping glass over a mold, preserves an older and more labor-intensive technique.
The acquisition also included several dozen ceramic vessels. Over time, the scope of the museum’s collection evolved, and most of these ceramics were later deaccessioned. Two Archaic vessels from Cyprus, a stamnos (1916.79) and an oinochoe (1916.96), remain in the collection as representatives of this early phase of collecting.
Comparative ReferencesSee also Gjerstad, Einar, The Swedish Cyprus Expedition, Stockholm, 1948, vol. 4, part 2, p. 147, fig. 26, no. 16.Late 1st century BCE to early 1st century CE
19th Dynasty (1292–1189 BCE)
1800/1900
about 1880
Ch'ing Dynasty (1644-1912)
Ch'ing Dynasty (1644-1912)
New Kingdom Period
18th Dynasty (1550-1292 BCE), about 1350 BCE
2nd-3rd Century
8th-9th century
about 10th century ?
9th-12th century ?
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