Byzantine Cloisonné Motif Watch

Description

The Museum’s collection houses an exquisite gold pendant worked in cloisonné, made in Constantinople about 1080–1150. Its surface features an intricate pattern of florets, palmettes, and variegated borders, while the front shows a medallion with the head of a young, beardless man. An accompanying stick is embellished with crosses. It is thought that such pendants were worn suspended from a headdress to hang near the wearer’s cheek or temple. The pendant’s hollow interior probably held a piece of perfumed cloth; the tiny stick would have guided the cloth in and out. Our watch’s decorative photo dial with gold printing is adapted from the cloisonné enamel pattern on this precious Byzantine pendant.

Gold overlay case, with a gold printed face. Leather strap. Quartz movement. Case: 1'' square; strap: adjusts from 6''L to 7 3/4''L.

Art History

Cloisonné enamels exemplify the exceptional skill of Byzantine artists. In the middle Byzantine period (843–1204), goldsmiths perfected the practice of cloisonné enamel to produce minutely scaled, jewel-like objects.