The large cylindrical bezel finely decorated with beading and filigree to form concentric circles, the wide shank with rope pattern. Exquisite. Size: USA= 9 1/2 - GB= S/T Material: Silver, 8.9 grms Condition: One granule missing, otherwise intact for a parallel see: https://ethnomuseum.ru/images/cms/thumbs/6878eb2a3667ba780f1cf16f42c3959c18b1a2a5/25279_auto_578_jpg_5_80.jpg. and https://ethnomuseum.ru/events1/exhibitions/past/vystavka-volzhskaya-bulgariya-velikoe-nasledie/ Provenance: Private British collection, acquired prior to 2000. The seller guarantees that this item has been legally acquired & will be legally exported, related documents seen by Catawiki. This item do not need an export licence within the EU. The seller will inform the buyer if it needs a UK export licence outside the EU Worldwide shipping by Registered Mail. Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity N.B. Import duties may be incurred on orders shipped to countries outside the UK. Notice: We are not able to ship to Greece and Cyprus. The roots of the state modern scholars call the Byzantine Empire trace back to the late third and early fourth centuries under the reigns of Diocletian and Constantine the Great. Historians divide this long-standing empire into three primary eras. The Early Period spans from the late third or fourth century to the early seventh century. Often referred to as the Late Roman era, this age was defined by legal and administrative restructuring. Highlights include the legal codifications of Emperor Justinian I, particularly his statutory updates that reshaped imperial taxation, commerce, and civic law. The Middle Period lasted from the early seventh century until 1204. It began with a period from the early seventh to early ninth century often called the Dark Ages, which was marked by widespread instability, territorial contraction, and profound socio-political transformations. Next came the Macedonian Dynasty from the mid-ninth to mid-eleventh century, an era of military resurgence, economic revitalization, and cultural flourish. This was followed by the Komnenian Dynasty from the late eleventh century to 1204, a period of strategic restoration that ended abruptly with the Fourth Crusade. The Late Period spanned from 1204 to the mid-fifteenth century. The first phase, from 1204 to 1261, brought Western European crusader occupation and regional competition for imperial succession under Latin rule. The second phase, from 1261 to 1453, was the Palaiologan Dynasty, which began with the recapture of Constantinople and ended with its fall in 1453. At various peaks throughout its history, the empire's borders encompassed vast regions surrounding the Mediterranean basin. In Eurasia and the Near East, it controlled Anatolia, the Balkans, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Armenia, Abkhazia, and the Crimean Peninsula. Across North Africa and the Mediterranean, its reach extended to Egypt, Cyrenaica, modern Libya, Tunisia, Cyprus, Crete, Rhodes, Sardinia, Corsica, and the Balearic Islands, along with portions of the Italian Peninsula and coastal southeastern Spain. The term Byzantine was not used by the empire's inhabitants; it was coined by European scholars in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Self-identifying as Romans, the populace forged a civilization synthesized from Roman governance, Greek language and heritage, and Christian theology. Situated at the crossroads of major trade routes, the empire controlled key commercial arteries between Asia and Europe, facilitating the movement of luxury commodities and driving state wealth. Geopolitically, it functioned as a defensive bulwark against Western European incursions from the East, while simultaneously shaping medieval Slavic societies through Christian conversion, diplomacy, and cultural exchange across the Balkans and Eastern Europe.