Gold foil glass

219NA
Glass necklace
2-1 century BC
Rhodos

Composed of 21 glass melon beads, graduated in size, with longitudinal ribs of transparent glass with greenish tint. Interspersed with gold foil glass beads. 

All beads are intact, in good condition and some glass beads are iridescent. 

Max diameter of the largest bead: 14 mm
Height: 11 mm
Necklace is 18" ( 45.7 cm) long

During the excavation of an ancient house in the city of Rhodes (1966-1967), a large amount of debris from a glass factory was recovered. The main production was evidently devoted to bead-making. Thousands of beads were discovered and the similar beads were among them. See full report in:

- G. D. Weinberg, “Glass Manufacture in Hellenistic Rhodes,” Archaiologikon Deltion 24 (1969), pp. 143-151, pl. 76

For similar published examples see also:

- Ve´ronique Arveiller-Dulong, Marie-Dominique Nenna.  Les Verres antiques du Musée du Louvre III : Parure, instruments et éléments d’incrustation, Paris, Éditions du Louvre, Somogy, 2011, p. 218: #298-23

- Alexeeva E.M. Antichniye busi severnogo prichernomoriya, Academy of Science, Moscow, 1978, table 33: 49.

- D.Nenna, Exploration archeologique de Delos, 32: Les verres, Paris, Athenes, EFA, De Boccard, 1999, pl.53: E137