Image: National Museum of Afghanistan ©Thierry Ollivier/Musée Guimet

This open work, hammered gold crown is a clever merging of naturalistic and almost architectural shapes. Clustered with gold discs of varying sizes with some pendent to dance on the brow of the wearer, the gleam of the pure gold is partnered by the gentle movement of the whole – a sort of ancient take on en tremblant, perhaps where the crown becomes more noticeable because of its kinetic quality. Crowns are always the centrepiece of official royal garb denoting in this case, the status of the woman who wore it in life and symbolizing a people’s identity and loyalty. The delicacy and lightness of the whole is also neatly partnered by cutwork or ‘pierced’ shapes including stylized hearts and crescents whilst the flower shapes which stand proud of the surface have solid centrepieces of beaded gold circles. Despite at first glance being artistically ‘chaotic’, the crown is also a work of balance and symmetry too.

Materials: Gold and imitation turquoise.

Date: 1st Century BC-1st century AD