Antique jewelry glossary

Welcome to our extensive antique jewelry glossary with around 1,500 jewelry related entries.If you feel you are missing an explanation, feel free to let us know and we will add it.

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z     all

Marriage belt

A type of belt (given by a groom to his bride, but not necessarily as a part of the marriage ceremony) made of gold and thought to be Greek rather than Syrian use; such belts are composed of linked discs, with two large central discs that serve as the fastener. Each large disc is ornamented with relief depiction of a figure of Christ, with a figure of a bride and a groom at His sides, and a Greek inscription.

The smaller discs, sometimes 22 of them, bear relief depictions of Dionysiac figures of different types. The discs are pressed from moulds.

An example found in Turkey is attributed to c. AD 600 and at least one similar example is recorded.

From: An Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry, autor: Harold Newman, publishers: Thames and Hudson