Getty Museum

Bracelet with Bull's Head Terminals

Date

about 250–200 B.C.

Medium

Gold

Culture

Greek

Department

Jewelry

Institution

Getty Museum

Heads of young, short-horned bulls form the ends of this Hellenistic gold bracelet. Each bull's head has raised relief forehead curls, a stippled hide, and eyes that were originally inlaid with contrasting materials. The goldsmith made the ears and horns of the animals separately and soldered them on. The bracelet's hoop is made from a hollow tube with nine deep flutes, and is closed with a gold wire that links the bulls' muzzles. A Herakles knot, valued for its magical qualities and one of the most popular motifs in Hellenistic jewelry, decorates the wire. The bracelet's form and the bull's-head terminals are unusual, as is the bracelet's simplicity, which differs markedly from the usual flamboyant style of Hellenistic jewelry.

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