Fenicio Vidrio, Oro necklace "eyes beads" - 26 cm

This impressive Phoenician necklace, approximately 26 cm long, is an exceptional piece of ancient Mediterranean jewellery, not only for its elegant design of glass paste beads decorated with the "eye" motif, but also for the presence of a delicate central pendant crafted in gold with a glass paste inlay, which highlights both its protective function and its status as an object of luxury and prestige.

The beads, carefully crafted in a rich colour range encompassing blue, white, yellow, and brown, feature concentric decorations simulating pupils and eyeballs, known as "apotropaic eyes." This symbolism is fundamental in the cultures of the Near East and the Phoenician world, where these motifs were used to repel the evil eye and protect the wearer from invisible or malevolent forces. The multiplication of this symbol along the necklace reinforces its talismanique character, in an aesthetic and magical strategy for accumulating protective power.

The central pendant, which marks the compositional axis of the jewel, stands out for its more refined workmanship. It consists of a delicately crafted circular gold base, framing a glass-paste medallion that also reproduces the eye motif, this time with greater visual prominence. This use of gold, although occasional, reveals the importance of this piece, probably worn in elite contexts or as part of a ceremonial trousseau. The combination of noble materials and protective symbolism is a constant in the highest-ranking Phoenician jewellery pieces.

The technique of making glass beads with eye decorations, through the use of overlapping and melted coloured rods, is a technical achievement that the Phoenicians perfected and widely disseminated along their trade routes. This necklace may have been produced in a workshop on the Syro-Palestinian coast or in a Punic enclave such as Carthage, from where these pieces were exported or exchanged across the Mediterranean.

The piece's excellent state of preservation allows one to admire not only the design and shapes of the beads, but also the details of their natural wear, which bear witness to their age and use. The variety of beads, some of them large and technically complex, offers a visual dynamism that further enhances the uniqueness of the central pendant.

Compared to other Phoenician jewellery preserved in museums such as the National Museum of Beirut, the Bardo Museum in Tunis, or the National Archaeological Museum of Madrid, this necklace displays a high level of craftsmanship, both due to the decorative density of the beads and the integration of precious metal elements. It is, without a doubt, a piece that combines formal beauty, magical symbolism, and social value.
With modern clasp.

Acquired from a Spanish private collection, J.A.U 1972.
-The piece includes an authenticity certificate.

The Seller can prove that the lot was obtained legally. Important information. The seller guarantees that he is entitled to ship this lot. The seller will take care that any necessary permits will be arranged, this process can take between 2 and 4 weeks.

IMPORTANT: Due to the new laws on the export of archaeological pieces, we have decided to NO LONGER sell outside the European territory for the following countries: SWITZERLAND & UNITED STATES of AMERICA.

For other destinations out of European territory: all our items will be shipped after obtaining a definitive LICENSE EXPORTATION by the Ministry of Culture of Spain. We inform our clients that it may take between 4-8 weeks. According to Spanish legislation, items sent outside the European Union are subjected to export taxes. The taxes will be added to the invoice, at the buyer's expense. These export fees are fixed on the final auction price, and the tax rate is not applied directly to the total value of the item to be exported, but rather the different percentages by sections are applied to it:
Up to 6,000 euros: 5%. / From 6.001 to 60.000 euros: 10 %.

Please note that for far destination (Asia, middle east etc.. ), there will be an additional cost for the shipping.