Gold necklace with sapphires, amethysts, emeralds and pearls. Period: Early Byzantine. Place/Findspot: Antinoë in Egypt. The Ravenna mosaics portray this kind of precious jewelry, widespread during Early Christian times, being worn by ladies of the imperial court of Theodora.
The Benaki Museum of Greek Culture is housed in one of the most beautiful neoclassical-style buildings in Athens, near the National Garden and the Hellenic Parliament. It was converted into a museum in order to shelter the collections of Antonis Benakis and was donated to the Greek nation by himself and his three sisters, Alexandra, Penelope and Argine. Following its most recent refurbishment (1989–2000), the building houses a unique exhibition on Greek culture arranged diachronically from prehistory to the 20th century.
Silver Bucket, Period: Early Byzantine circa: 600s. Made in Tirana, Modern Albania. (Found in Vrap) Material: Silver. On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 301. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) is one of the world’s largest and finest art museums. Its collection includes more than two million works of art spanning five thousand years of world culture, from prehistory to the present and from every part of the globe. Public Hours: 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Open seven days a week.
Buckle with Garnets. Period: Early Byzantine; circa:400–500 A.D. Material: gold. Made in: Constantinople. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) is one of the world’s largest and finest art museums. Its collection includes more than two million works of art spanning five thousand years of world culture, from prehistory to the present and from every part of the globe. Public Hours: 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Open seven days a week.
Gold Signet Ring, Period: Late Byzantine circa: 14thc. Made in: Constantinople. Diameter: 28 millimetres Weight: 375 grains. British Museum is closed 24, 25 and 26 December and 1 January, but is open every other day of the year. Fast facts about the British Museum: Founded: 1753, Collection size: 8 million objects, Oldest object in the collection: Stone chopping tool (nearly 2 million years old).
Earring, Materials: Ruby, Sapphire, Gold and Gems. Period: Early Byzantine, early 5th century. Found in 1910 during restoration work in Piazza della Consolazione, Rome. The museum is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday, 11:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m., except for federal holidays.
Pair of Earrings. Materials: Pearls, Emeralds, Sapphires, Gold and Gems. Period: Early Byzantine, circa: early 5th century. The museum is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday, 11:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m., except for federal holidays.
Medallion with Saint George from an Icon Frame, Period: Middle Byzantine, circa: 1100, Made in Constantinople, Materials: Gold, silver, and enamel worked in cloisonné. On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 303. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) is one of the world’s largest and finest art museums. Its collection includes more than two million works of art spanning five thousand years of world culture, from prehistory to the present and from every part of the globe. Public Hours: 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Open seven days a week.
Fragment of a Necklace Consisting of Eight Coins, Period: Early Byzantine. circa: Between 637 and 646. Found: Pereshchepina Complex. near Poltava, the Village of Malaya Pereshchepina. Material: gold. The collection of the State Hermitage includes over 3 million works of art and world culture artefacts. It contains paintings, graphic works, sculptures, works of applied art, archaeological artefacts and numismatic objects. The Hermitage is considered to have been founded in 1764, when Empress Catherine the Great acquired an impressive collection of works from the Berlin merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky. The museum celebrates the anniversary of its founding each year on 7 December, St. Catherine’s Day. Opening Hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: 10.30-18.00 Wednesday, Friday: 10.30-21.00 Closed: Monday.
Solidus of Constantinus III, Mint: Constantinople, Period: A.D. 641–668, Early Byzantine. Material: Gold. The MFA is open 7 days a week. Monday and Tuesday 10 am–5 pm, Wednesday–Friday 10 am–10 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10 am–5 pm.
Fragment, Sleeve Ornament of a Tunic, Period: Early Byzantine, circa: 5th – 7th century. Made in: Egypt. Materials: tabby weave with inwoven tapestry ornament, linen and wool. Overall: 15.6 x 20 cm (6 1/8 x 7 13/16 in.). The Cleveland Art Museum Hours: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Closed Mondays.
Gold Solidus of Valentinian I (364–75), Made in Nicomedia (Modern Izmit, Turkey), Material: Gold. Valentinian restored Christian symbols, including the Chi-Rho emblem atop the emperor’s standard. On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 301. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) is one of the world’s largest and finest art museums. Its collection includes more than two million works of art spanning five thousand years of world culture, from prehistory to the present and from every part of the globe. Public Hours: 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Open seven days a week.
Steelyard Weight with a Bust of a Byzantine Empress and a Hook. This Byzantine steelyard weight dates from the first half of the 5th century. The bronze hook would permit it to be suspended from and moved along a ruled steelyard to determine the weight of an item hung from the opposite end. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) is one of the world’s largest and finest art museums. Its collection includes more than two million works of art spanning five thousand years of world culture, from prehistory to the present and from every part of the globe. Public Hours: 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Open seven days a week.
Tapestry panel: Head of a man. Coptic, Egypt. Period: Early Byzantine circa: 4th-5th century A.D. Dimensions: 23.5 x 20 cm (9 1/4 x 7 7/8 in.); Legacy dimension: 23.5 x 20.0 cm. Materials: Wool. The MFA is open 7 days a week. Monday and Tuesday 10 am–5 pm, Wednesday–Friday 10 am–10 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10 am–5 pm.
Brooch, in the form of a dove. Period: Early Byzantine, circa: 6thc-7thc. Material: Bronze . British Museum is closed 24, 25 and 26 December and 1 January, but is open every other day of the year. Fast facts about the British Museum: Founded: 1753, Collection size: 8 million objects, Oldest object in the collection: Stone chopping tool (nearly 2 million years old).
Bowl; circular medallion with half-figure of a nimbed saint, St Sergios. Period: Early Byzantine; circa: 641-651; Materials: Silver. Production place: Made in Tarsus, Anatolia (Modern Turkey). Found: Acheripoetos Monastery, Cyprus,Nicosia. British Museum is closed 24, 25 and 26 December and 1 January, but is open every other day of the year.
Fast facts about the British Museum: Founded: 1753, Collection size: 8 million objects, Oldest object in the collection: Stone chopping tool (nearly 2 million years old).
Square Segmentum with Two Birds, Period: Early Byzantine; circa: 400s – 500s; Made in: Egypt, Material: tapestry; linen and wool. Dimensions: Overall: 10 x 10 cm (3 7/8 x 3 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Art Museum Hours: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Closed Mondays.
Ring with cross-shaped quatrefoil calyx bezel. Materials: gold. Period: Early Byzantine; circa: 6th-7th century. The Benaki Museum of Greek Culture is housed in one of the most beautiful neoclassical-style buildings in Athens, near the National Garden and the Hellenic Parliament.
Three sections of a Gold necklace. Materials: sapphires, emeralds, cornelians and pearls. Period: Early Byzantine; circa: 5th c. Made in: Alexandria, Egypt. Their height varies from 0.05 to 0.06 m. The Benaki Museum of Greek Culture is housed in one of the most beautiful neoclassical-style buildings in Athens, near the National Garden and the Hellenic Parliament.
Lamp, Period: Early Byzantine, circa: 6th-7th c. Materials: Bronze. Found: Edfu, great church (Upper Egypt,Edfu) British Museum is closed 24, 25 and 26 December and 1 January, but is open every other day of the year. Fast facts about the British Museum: Founded: 1753, Collection size: 8 million objects, Oldest object in the collection: Stone chopping tool (nearly 2 million years old).
Gold Coin, Ruler: Maurice Tiberius; Period: Early Byzantine; circa: 582-602; Minted in: Ravenna. British Museum is closed 24, 25 and 26 December and 1 January, but is open every other day of the year. Fast facts about the British Museum: Founded: 1753, Collection size: 8 million objects, Oldest object in the collection: Stone chopping tool (nearly 2 million years old).
Solidus of Constans II, Period: Early Byzantine, circa: 651–654. Minted in: Constantinople. Material: Gold. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is open 7 days a week. Monday and Tuesday 10 am–5 pm, Wednesday–Friday 10 am–10 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10 am–5 pm.


