Gold necklace with rows of pendants in the shape of leaves, seeds, and pointed amphorae, Thessaly, Greece, ca. early 2nd century BCE (Benaki Museum of Greek Civilization)

In the ancient world, jewelry conveyed many meanings. While people across cultures adorned themselves with jewelry for beauty and status, ancient jewelry was also deeply symbolic.

Many of the motifs found in ancient jewelry represent seeds, leaves, fruit, and flowers from the natural world. These images allowed the wearer to invoke important concepts such as fecundity, prosperity, and abundance—essential to survival in ancient agrarian societies—as well as appeal to the gods associated with them.

In this way, ancient jewelry can almost be “read” like a text. The symbols incorporated into jewelry referenced the gods, the natural world, and the myths that shaped life in antiquity. Once decoded, ancient jewelry gives voice to the past.

One common motif in ancient jewelry is the cluster of granules — tiny gold spheres arranged in triangular or pyramidal formations. (In geometry, identical spheres naturally stack most securely in a pyramid.) These clustered granules resemble mulberries or bunches of grapes, both ancient symbols of abundance.

Granule clusters often appear on earrings and pendants, sometimes forming small points below a bead or stone. Some of the earliest examples come from Mesopotamia, including earrings excavated at the ancient city-state of Mari. Variations of this design continued across the ancient Mediterranean for centuries, appearing in Greek and Roman jewelry with varying numbers and sizes of granules.

Gold earring with clustered sphere, Roman, 2nd–3rd century CE (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Gold earring with clustered spheres and pyramidal granulation, Roman, 2nd–3rd century CE (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

In ancient Greece, grapes were closely associated with the god Dionysus, known as Bacchus in Roman times. As the god of wine and revelry, Dionysus embodied the abundance of the natural world and the intoxicating powers of nature. Female followers of the cult of Dionysus, called the Maenads, were believed to be “mad women” who retreated to the mountains at night to take part in ritual drinking and dancing. Thus, Dionysus was a symbol of feminine freedom as well. Symbols such as grapes, wine, and wine vessels frequently appear in jewelry, invoking the prosperity and vitality associated with his cult.

Earring in the form of a scroll-handled vase composed of hollow balls designed to resemble grape cluster, Parthian, ca. 1st–2nd century CE (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

In ancient times, wine was commonly stored and transported in a vessel called an amphora—a jar with a rounded body and narrow neck often flanked by two handles. Amphorae have been excavated in vast numbers across the ancient Mediterranean. They were essential to trade and to daily life, found in diverse contexts ranging from shipwrecks to houses and shops in Pompeii.

Amphorae excavated at Pompeii, 79 CE (photo by Alexis Menten)

Smaller versions of these vessels, called amphoriskoi, were used to hold valuable substances such as scented oils and perfumes. Because these vessels in their various forms were associated with valuable contents, the amphora became a common visual symbol of prosperity and abundance.

Gold amphoriskos (oil flask) with inlaid garnets, Greek, 3rd century BCE (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

The amphora form appears frequently in ancient jewelry, sometimes as miniature pendants and sometimes as stylized shapes. In a common style of ancient Greek necklace, rows of amphora-shaped pendants hang from handwoven chains as shown in the example below.

Gold strap necklace with seedlike pendants, Greek, ca. 330–300 BCE (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

As the symbol of the amphora was replicated in ancient jewelry, it became stylized in various ways. In their most simplified versions, only the elegant silhouette of the vessel remains.

Gold necklace with pendants, Greek, 5th century BCE (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Gold earrings with pendant vase and ring, Etruscan, 4th century BCE (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Stones were also used to allude to the amphora shape.

Gold necklace with amphora pendant, Byzantine, 4th century CE (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

The amphora, the grape cluster, and other symbols of abundance were believed to invoke the powers of the gods and confer prosperity upon the wearer. Once recognized, these motifs transform ancient jewelry from simple ornament into objects rich with meaning—objects that reflect the hopes and aspirations of the people who wore them.

Continuing the Tradition
Symbols of abundance appeared throughout ancient jewelry, invoking prosperity and the vitality of the natural world. These motifs continue to inspire my work today.

Mari Earrings
Handcrafted 22k gold earrings with gold granule clusters inspired by ancient Mesopotamian earrings.

Amphora Pearl Pendants
South Sea pearl pendants with a 20k gold bail recalling the shape of ancient amphora vessels.