Cleveland Museum of Art

Mounted Rock Crystal

Date

500s-600s

Medium

gold, quartz, almandine

Culture

Byzantium, Byzantine period, 6th-7th centuries

Department

Medieval Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

When this object was acquired, it was thought to be a container for holy oil or another sacred relic or substance. However, closer examination revealed that the rock crystal prism at the object’s core is completely solid, leaving no room in which to insert such matter. The object’s original function thus remains unclear. It may have served as an amulet, a magical object meant to protect its owner from evil and mishaps.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.