Silver - Earrings

Archaeological Material Culture & Provenance Report
Item comes with a copy of Leiner's original paperwork included. As this was part of a lot, the paperwork is a photocopy of the original.
From the Collection of Gabriele und Wolfgang Leiner, and thence by descent. Gabriele and Wolfgang Leiner are known for their historical research and editorial work, particularly on topics related to Wurttemberg history and historical documents from the region. They are the editors of Gottfried Tobias Ritters Stuttgarter Tagebuch 1833

• Classification: Single Crescentic Hoop Earring (Ohrring)
• Cultural Attribution: Byzantine / Early Medieval (Anatolian Workshop)
• Estimated Date Range: 6th–11th Century CE
• Discovery Location / Date: Burhaniye, Turkey (Burhaniye 1967)
• Acquisition Context: Gifted from Ahmed (Geschenk Ahmed)
• Inventory Identification: Archive No. 95
Technical & Stylistic Analysis

1. Composition and Preservation

The artifact is manufactured from a silver alloy (indicated by the archive notation Silber). The presence of a prominent, bright green copper-carbonate patina (verdigris) over the dark silver tarnish provides clear material evidence of a billon or base-silver composition (silver heavily alloyed with copper). This metallurgic practice was incredibly common in provincial Byzantine workshops to increase structural strength and lower material costs.

2. Iconography & Symbolic Meaning

The central open-work design features an integrated, profile silhouette of an upward-looking bird, specifically a peacock. Within the Christianized Byzantine Empire, the peacock carried deep theological and funerary importance:
• Immortality and Paradise: Ancient and medieval folklore dictated that a peacock's flesh was incorruptible and did not decay. Consequently, they became symbolic guardians of the Gates of Paradise and representations of eternal life.

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