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DEACESSIONED April 12, 2024
Necklace
Greek, East Greek
Archaic Period
550–450 B.C.
Medium/Technique
Gold and carnelian
Dimensions
30 beads, Length ca. 20 cm
Credit Line
Classical Department Exchange Fund
Accession Number1982.413
CollectionsJewelry, Ancient Greece and Rome
ClassificationsJewelry / Adornment – Necklaces and neck bands
DescriptionNecklace of gold and carnelian. Alternating beads of gold and carnelian in the form of berries or pomegranates suspended from a leaf molding.
Provenance1976, probably illicitly excavated from a tomb near Kendirlik, Bintepeler, Türkiye [see note 1]. 1982, sold by James R. Ogden and Sons, London, to the MFA (Accession Date: September 15, 1982); April 12, 2024, deaccessioned by the MFA for return to the Republic of Türkiye [see note 2].
NOTES:
[1] In 1976, the archaeological museum of Manisa, Türkiye carried out excavations at a tumulus near Kendirlik in response to reports of looting in the area. Archaeologists recovered beads and other fittings that are nearly identical to those in the MFA necklace (Manisa Museum, Türkiye, inv. nos. MM 6284-MM 6286). It is likely that all of these elements originated at the same tumulus, and that the MFA necklace was smuggled out of the country. See Dyfri Williams, “Lydian Gold to Newcastle,” in On the Fascination of Objects: Greek and Etruscan Art in the Shefton Collection, ed. J. Boardman et al. (Oxford, 2015), 134.
[2] When the MFA purchased the necklace, it was said to come from Asia Minor (another name for ancient Anatolia, which is today Türkiye), but had no other ownership history. After being alerted by scholars to the likelihood of the necklace’s illicit excavation at Bintepeler, the Museum contacted the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Türkiye to initiate discussions about the its return, and an agreement was finalized in 2024.
NOTES:
[1] In 1976, the archaeological museum of Manisa, Türkiye carried out excavations at a tumulus near Kendirlik in response to reports of looting in the area. Archaeologists recovered beads and other fittings that are nearly identical to those in the MFA necklace (Manisa Museum, Türkiye, inv. nos. MM 6284-MM 6286). It is likely that all of these elements originated at the same tumulus, and that the MFA necklace was smuggled out of the country. See Dyfri Williams, “Lydian Gold to Newcastle,” in On the Fascination of Objects: Greek and Etruscan Art in the Shefton Collection, ed. J. Boardman et al. (Oxford, 2015), 134.
[2] When the MFA purchased the necklace, it was said to come from Asia Minor (another name for ancient Anatolia, which is today Türkiye), but had no other ownership history. After being alerted by scholars to the likelihood of the necklace’s illicit excavation at Bintepeler, the Museum contacted the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Türkiye to initiate discussions about the its return, and an agreement was finalized in 2024.