Gold jewelry that has witnessed eight centuries

🔴 Where were the jewelry pieces found?

🔴 Which dynasty do they belong to?

🔴 What are the rules and regulations of Christie’s auction house?

Recently, one of the world’s oldest and most famous auction houses Christie’s, located in London, United Kingdom held a sale of antiquities related to India and the Islamic world. Among the items offered for sale were ancient objects and manuscripts directly connected to Uzbekistan’s cultural heritage.

Among them, a collection of gold jewelry created during the Seljuk period attracted considerable attention.

Where were the jewelry pieces found?

Like many auction houses around the world, Christie’s also has its own rules and regulations. If the owner of an item being sold does not wish to reveal their identity, no information about them is provided. The buyer likewise has the right to remain anonymous. For the jewelry in question, no full details were disclosed about who previously owned them or how they came to the auction house.

What is clear, however, is that before any lot is put up for sale, it undergoes a special expert examination. Historians, art historians, ethnographers, and other relevant specialists examine each antiquity in detail. This is because if false information or a counterfeit artifact were to be sold, it could lead to major disputes and even legal proceedings.

Experts determined that these jewelry pieces were made during the Seljuk period, no later than the 13th century. The decorations and various symbols used on them are widely found in artifacts from that era. Interestingly, among the 35 items in the collection including necklaces, bracelets, chains, rings, and earrings there are heart-shaped pieces. While this symbol has long been considered of European origin and associated with love, research shows that gold items of this shape were also found among artifacts from the Achaemenid period, about 2,500 years ago. Specialists even note the presence of this symbol among ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

These jewelry pieces were crafted by skilled masters and may have been worn by women from ruling families.

The set of jewelry offered at auction was selected with the help of Uzbek specialists participating in the sale and is expected to be brought back to our country.

Rustam Jabborov

P/S: The article may be used by citing the official website of the Center.