mediumaevum:Made of rock crystal, this pendant is in the form of a fish. It has a fin at the top,
mediumaevum: Made of rock crystal, this pendant is in the form of a fish. It has a fin at the top, carved with diaper work, and two carved fins below. The body ends in a stylised tail and a deep tube is pierced down its middle. The crystal probably dates from the Fatimid period (AD 969-1171), and was perhaps carved by an Islamic craftsman in Cairo. The head was either damaged or already missing when a goldsmith in the West, possibly in Paris,embellished it with precious mounts for use as a pendant. The mounts consist of a moulded rim of silver-gilt, decorated with a pattern of leaves. Around the mouth is nielloed (inlaid in black) the Lombardic inscription ‘AVE: MARIA: GRACIA: PL[E]NA’. This Christian inscription means ‘Hail Mary, full of Grace’, and frequently occurs on medieval objects, probably reflecting their owner’s devotion to the Virgin Mary. -- source link
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