Gold pendants
Archaeological museum of Chora
2636 A-D_1
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Gold pendants
1620 CE – 1550 BCE
Archaeological museum of Chora
Peristeria tholos tomb 3, Messenia
Width: 3.85 cm x Height: 3.86 cm
Elaborately crafted jewels in the form of a recurring pair of facing butterflies crowned by a flower. Formed by two adjoining gold foils, so as to give the impression of a single piece. The front foil is decorated with the impressed butterflies, while the rear one is flat. The flower above the butterflies forms a hanging hole; the butterflies’ bodies curve and connect at their tip, forming a loop. Butterflies are possibly associated with the blossoming of the human psyche and reflect the early mycenaean beliefs about rebirth and the immortality of the dead.