Object from Athens NAM
14th century BC
Bronze dagger with gold decoration
Hellenic National Archaeological Museum,
Collection of Prehistoric Antiquities, Inv. No.
Π 3111
Provenance:
Mycenae, Chamber Tomb 81
Dimensions:
Preserved length: 12 cm, shoulder width: 5.7 cm.
Date:
LH IIB/IIIA1 (second half of the 15th – first half of the 14th century BC).
Display location:
Room
4
, Case
30
(no. 23).
The
bronze dagger from Mycenae
preserves a small section of the blade and its nearly intact elaborate hilt, decorated with six gold-plated rivets and a gold lining. Although at first glance it does not appear to be among the best-preserved or most impressive daggers in the Mycenaean Collection, a closer look reveals its unique decoration: incised spirals rendered within a composition of thousands of microscopic foils.
This impressive technique was first studied by Christos Tsountas in 1897 on weapon hilts from Mycenae and Vapheio (Laconia), who aptly named it “gold embroidery” (
χρυσοκέντηση
). It is a decorative method of unparalleled aesthetics that borders on miniature art. It was exclusively applied on luxurious swords and daggers of the Early Mycenaean period (17th–15th century BC).
The goldsmith carefully placed countless
microscopic, L-shaped gold foils
(< 1 mm) in a dense arrangement, creating the visual
effect of a mosaic
. The foils were not attached directly to the bronze surface of the hilt, but onto an intermediate layer of wood or bone using an adhesive (resin). Subsequently, after smoothing the surface, the artisan decorated it with incised motifs, typically spirals.
The few surviving examples of this technique stand out for the exceptional skill and aesthetic sensibility of their creators, without betraying to the untrained eye the immense effort required for their production. They have been discovered in only ten wealthy tombs in the Peloponnese, with the majority originating from Mycenae, which appears to have been the primary center of production.
Interestingly, an earlier variant of this technique
Hellenic National Archaeological Museum,
Collection of Prehistoric Antiquities, Inv. No.
Π 3111
Provenance:
Mycenae, Chamber Tomb 81
Dimensions:
Preserved length: 12 cm, shoulder width: 5.7 cm.
Date:
LH IIB/IIIA1 (second half of the 15th – first half of the 14th century BC).
Display location:
Room
4
, Case
30
(no. 23).
The
bronze dagger from Mycenae
preserves a small section of the blade and its nearly intact elaborate hilt, decorated with six gold-plated rivets and a gold lining. Although at first glance it does not appear to be among the best-preserved or most impressive daggers in the Mycenaean Collection, a closer look reveals its unique decoration: incised spirals rendered within a composition of thousands of microscopic foils.
This impressive technique was first studied by Christos Tsountas in 1897 on weapon hilts from Mycenae and Vapheio (Laconia), who aptly named it “gold embroidery” (
χρυσοκέντηση
). It is a decorative method of unparalleled aesthetics that borders on miniature art. It was exclusively applied on luxurious swords and daggers of the Early Mycenaean period (17th–15th century BC).
The goldsmith carefully placed countless
microscopic, L-shaped gold foils
(< 1 mm) in a dense arrangement, creating the visual
effect of a mosaic
. The foils were not attached directly to the bronze surface of the hilt, but onto an intermediate layer of wood or bone using an adhesive (resin). Subsequently, after smoothing the surface, the artisan decorated it with incised motifs, typically spirals.
The few surviving examples of this technique stand out for the exceptional skill and aesthetic sensibility of their creators, without betraying to the untrained eye the immense effort required for their production. They have been discovered in only ten wealthy tombs in the Peloponnese, with the majority originating from Mycenae, which appears to have been the primary center of production.
Interestingly, an earlier variant of this technique
Images courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (CC0)