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Mounted Rock Crystal

500s-600s
gold, quartz, almandine
Overall: 10.2 x 1.9 x 1.6 cm (4 x 3/4 x 5/8 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1953.640
Location: 105 Byzantine
Public Domain
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Description

When this object was acquired, it was thought to be a container for holy oil or another sacred relic or substance. However, closer examination revealed that the rock crystal prism at the object’s core is completely solid, leaving no room in which to insert such matter. The object’s original function thus remains unclear. It may have served as an amulet, a magical object meant to protect its owner from evil and mishaps.
Mounted Rock Crystal

Mounted Rock Crystal

500s-600s

Byzantium, Byzantine period, 6th-7th centuries

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