Sasanian Empire Gold-plated, restrung Pendant - To be quimérico/cornalina.
03
days
22
hours
05
minutes
57
seconds
Starting bid
€ 1
Reserve price not met
Expert
Selected by Ruth Garrido Vila
Directed the Ifergan Collection Museum, specialising in Phoenician and Mediterranean archaeology.
Estimate € 200 - € 250
No bids placed
Catawiki Buyer Protection
Your payment’s safe with us until you receive your object.View details
Trustpilot 4.4 | 142857 reviews
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
An 18K gold‑filled necklace featuring lavender glass beads and an engraved carnelian seal with a Sasanian horse‑lion hybrid itaglio, weighing 6.22 g and titled Ser quimérico/cornalina, combining ancient Roman craftsmanship with Sasanian symbolism.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Tinted glass beads from Ancient Rome in combination with an itaglio seal of the Sasanian Empire in carnelian with engraving of a chimera or fantastical being. They are set on 18Kt gold-plated thread and linked to a modern 18Kt gold-plated cord-type chain.
In the Sasanian Empire it was characteristic to carve intaglios where powerful animals fused, such as the lion and the horse, symbols of status, royalty, and divine strength.
In this itaglio a hybrid or chimera (horse-lion) is depicted, which symbolized nobility and speed in the horse’s head and strength and royalty in the lion’s body. The curved tail and the mane’s pronounced lines emphasize dynamism, vital energy, and divine glory that the seal’s owner wished to invoke. In this way this seal acted as a powerful amulet of protection and personal authority.
This design also served as an emblem of rank, aristocratic distinction, or dynastic seal. Noble families and kings used this symbol as a mark of status or divine favor.
In the Sasanian Empire, carnelian was a stone associated with earthly and divine power, projecting authority and status for those who bore this type of seals. It was also strongly linked to sacred fires, light, and vitality. In this intaglio seal you can see, on the back, a series of natural iron oxide (hematite) inclusions formed during the stone’s formation.
An elegant way to blend the classical world with the modern world.
It ships with a legal declarations sheet.
Customs duties outside the EU will be borne by the auction winner.
Seller's Story
Thousands of years ago, in the ancient cities of Greece, the AGORA was the heart of the community. It was not just a market; it was the place where people gathered to share ideas, discover the world, and marvel at knowledge.
Today, that spirit is reborn, but on a much larger scale. Welcome to AGORA.
Our story doesn't begin decades ago, but billions of years ago. It begins in the vacuum of space, where the violent birth of a star forged the METEORITES that you can touch with your own hands today. It continues beneath the Earth's crust, where the patience of the Earth combined heat, pressure, and time to sculpt the perfect geometry of the MINERALS. And finally, it meets us through ARCHAEOLOGY: the fragments of vases, tools, and coins that our ancestors left behind as clues to who we are.
At AGORA we believe that the most valuable objects are not those that shine on the outside, but those that have a story to tell. We are not just a store; we are a meeting point between the cosmos, the Earth, and humanity.
Each piece in our display cases is an authentic fragment of eternity. A witness of the Big Bang, a secret buried for millennia, or a relic of a lost civilization. Entering here is the beginning of a journey through time. We invite you to discover your own fragment of history.
Translated by Google TranslateTinted glass beads from Ancient Rome in combination with an itaglio seal of the Sasanian Empire in carnelian with engraving of a chimera or fantastical being. They are set on 18Kt gold-plated thread and linked to a modern 18Kt gold-plated cord-type chain.
In the Sasanian Empire it was characteristic to carve intaglios where powerful animals fused, such as the lion and the horse, symbols of status, royalty, and divine strength.
In this itaglio a hybrid or chimera (horse-lion) is depicted, which symbolized nobility and speed in the horse’s head and strength and royalty in the lion’s body. The curved tail and the mane’s pronounced lines emphasize dynamism, vital energy, and divine glory that the seal’s owner wished to invoke. In this way this seal acted as a powerful amulet of protection and personal authority.
This design also served as an emblem of rank, aristocratic distinction, or dynastic seal. Noble families and kings used this symbol as a mark of status or divine favor.
In the Sasanian Empire, carnelian was a stone associated with earthly and divine power, projecting authority and status for those who bore this type of seals. It was also strongly linked to sacred fires, light, and vitality. In this intaglio seal you can see, on the back, a series of natural iron oxide (hematite) inclusions formed during the stone’s formation.
An elegant way to blend the classical world with the modern world.
It ships with a legal declarations sheet.
Customs duties outside the EU will be borne by the auction winner.
Seller's Story
Thousands of years ago, in the ancient cities of Greece, the AGORA was the heart of the community. It was not just a market; it was the place where people gathered to share ideas, discover the world, and marvel at knowledge.
Today, that spirit is reborn, but on a much larger scale. Welcome to AGORA.
Our story doesn't begin decades ago, but billions of years ago. It begins in the vacuum of space, where the violent birth of a star forged the METEORITES that you can touch with your own hands today. It continues beneath the Earth's crust, where the patience of the Earth combined heat, pressure, and time to sculpt the perfect geometry of the MINERALS. And finally, it meets us through ARCHAEOLOGY: the fragments of vases, tools, and coins that our ancestors left behind as clues to who we are.
At AGORA we believe that the most valuable objects are not those that shine on the outside, but those that have a story to tell. We are not just a store; we are a meeting point between the cosmos, the Earth, and humanity.
Each piece in our display cases is an authentic fragment of eternity. A witness of the Big Bang, a secret buried for millennia, or a relic of a lost civilization. Entering here is the beginning of a journey through time. We invite you to discover your own fragment of history.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Era
Before 1400
Culture
Sasanian Empire
Metal
restrung, Gold-plated
Century/timeframe
500 a.C.-400 d.C.
Acquired from
Auction house
Total weight
6.22 g
Year acquired
2025
Condition
Good condition - used with some signs of wear
Country acquired from
United Kingdom
Previous owner acquired from
Private collection
Title additional information
To be quimérico/cornalina.
Previous owner - year acquired
1968
Previous owner - country acquired from
United Kingdom
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
