Research and Design of an SCA Medallion
Sayyeda al-Kaslaania
Boar’s Head 2013
Revised September 2018
Revised September 2018
Figure 1 Completed Pyxis Medallion |
I am honored to have been recognized by King Tom and Queen Sigrid as
a member of the Order of the Pyxis. As a member, I am invited to wear the
symbol of the order: (Fieldless) A cross clechy Or within and conjoined to an
annulet argent.
Recognized for research and recreation in the Middle Eastern
arts and culture, I wanted to wear a symbol that honored the order while also
coordinating with the specific Middle Eastern culture I research, Fatimid Egypt
in 1066.
Figure 2 Fatimid pendant, 10th – 11th c, 2.9 cm. Aga Khan Museum, assn AKM00594 |
I commissioned designer and goldsmith Kelly Williams of
Whiplash Designs to create a frame for the cross and convert it to a pendant[2]. She
created a piece based on several designs from extant pieces, and used lost wax
casting techniques to make it.
I have not been able to find Fatimid-period jewelry with the pearls intact, however Byzantine, and Hellenistic, (and even Victorian) jewelry all use a very small pearl size for this purpose. Kelly also plated the cross itself in yellow gold to make the
pendant match the symbol of the order.
Most Middle Eastern pendants on display in museums do not
include a method to suspend them for wearing. I have located two extant likely-Fatimid examples of chains.
The first was auctioned from Christie’s Auction House. The second is housed at
the National Museum in Damascus.
I am not an expert in the technique trichinopoly chain work (frequently called Viking wire weaving) but amateur historical researchers Sefa
Farminsdottir and Svein Turnheim believe it is possible the necklace in Figure 3 is made with this technique (each has said they would need
different photographs to determine for certain). The chains hanging from the
pin pictured in Figure 4 were determined to likely be a different style of chain
work. These chains indicate that complex chain techniques were sometimes used
to display Fatimid-period jewelry.
The silver necklace chain used in my Pyxis piece was an
uncredited donation to a silent auction at the SCA event Haire Affaire in 2011. It is silver
wire worked with the "Viking" wire weaving technique. It sports a modern clasp
and two faceted Swarovski-style beads.
Figure 7. Byzantine Gold, Pearl, Emerald and Spinel Cross, Early 7th c. 1 5/8 inches long. Christie’s Sale 444-2375, “Ancient Jewelry”. December 9, 2010: New York, Rockefeller Plaza.
Figure 8. Byzantine gold ring with decoration. Garnet cabochon and surmounted with seed pearls. Measures size US 7 and UK M, weighs 10 grams Dated circa twelfth century.
https://trinityantiques.co.uk/collections/the-celts/products/eautiful-byzantine-gold-garnet-ring-circa-12th-century-ad
Figure 9. Islamic Egypt, eleventh/twelfth century. Pair of earrings. Seed pearls and gold filigree. Height x width: 1 1/8 in. x 1 1/8 in. Detroit Institute of Arts, accession number 1986.100. https://www.dia.org/art/collection/object/part-earring-49363
https://trinityantiques.co.uk/collections/the-celts/products/eautiful-byzantine-gold-garnet-ring-circa-12th-century-ad
Figure 9. Islamic Egypt, eleventh/twelfth century. Pair of earrings. Seed pearls and gold filigree. Height x width: 1 1/8 in. x 1 1/8 in. Detroit Institute of Arts, accession number 1986.100. https://www.dia.org/art/collection/object/part-earring-49363
[1]
Jenkins, Marilyn. “Fatimid Jewelry: Its subtypes and influences” Ars
Orientalis 18 (1988): 39-57.
Your piece is beautiful, and it looks like you did a lot of really good research on it.
ReplyDelete