The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-05
JEwELRY FROM CYPRUS TOMns
Ornaments Newly Added to the Brit
ish Museum Collection.

From the London Standard.
In the gold ornament room at the Brit
ish museum, are now displayed the OBJ
jects found in the excavations made at
Enkomi, near Salamis. in the island of
CYPRUS, from March to September last,
under the directions Of the museum Of
icials The new collection consists of 464
objects of which there are 1856 diadems
and mouth plates of pure gold plates,
some plain, but for the most part simply
and charmingly ornamented by embossed
patterns impressed from staetite or other
hard stone molds. Although the ornamen-
tation is so primitive, the variations are
more numerous than in any previous
finds, and remarkable taste is displayed
In the combinations of the molds made
use of. These plaques were placed on the
bodies of the dead, the diadems, six to
eight inches long, being placed on the
forehead, and the mouth plates, pointed
and oval in shape, over the lips. Some
OF the smaller We're armlets. varying from
four to six inches, and about three-quar-
ters of an inch broad. The general form
of the ornamentation is coil or spiral
about half an incH across which is made
to do duty by intervening In various ways,
or by being implicated In opposite direc-
tons, or grouped in sets of three or six,
and sometimes interviewer with lotus
leaves. In other plates the ornamentaton
is in resets, with a central boss, from
which radiate one or two circular sets OF
linear rays or sort OF tlguratlVe sun.
In others the ornamentation is formed by
numerous bulls heads. In one there is
mixture of lotus and volutes. Another
| has very rich form of double palmet A
| third has a palmet of three lobes,
| and a fourth is artisticauy cover
ed with impressions of small sphinNes.
| Another feature of the find is the guam
x8rfpa ri
of which are looped together in chains.
| These were probably intended and used
| as uncoined money There is another re-
markable feature in the present find
| namely, the gold-wire pins varying from
| three to six inches long but which, per-
| haps. we should more properly have call
/ ed fbulae. At the top of the pin is
| boss of gold wire frosted with granu-
| lated enamel of gold. Stout gold wire
is twisted together 10 form the shaft
| of the pin, and midway loop for cord
| TO fasten the dress is formed by a wire
ring bound on to the shaft of the pin.
| There is also a large series of gold ear
rings. Some are in form of bulls heads,
| about an inch in length and three-quar-
| ters of an inch across at the frontal part.
| There are other earrings about two inches
| in length, made of thick gold bar the ring
being very much thickened at the pend
| ant end There is one very large pendant.
| in the globuiar form of pomegranate,
with pattern executed in graduated gold.
| as in some of the beautiful objects of
/ the Etruscan period and the early Greek
days of the seventh century
Among the necklaces are two, more
or less complete. composed of long gold
| beads of seedlike shape, about an inch
| In length and half an inch across. These
were strung together, with small discs
| between them, most elegant i'm design.
/ The finger rings are also very notable;
I - A. 81. lI.sal. -. III I
| gold. or ii, may be better to say. two
single rings joined; 1t has two large and
very long oval tablets, as for signets;
| but the double article may have been
| intended as a marriage ring. The tab
| lets are both engraved with lions, There
| is another fine signet with inscription in
hieroglyphcs indicating the goddess Nut.
We have here to note in one of the cases
a fine ivory handle and supports of a
mirror-or il may have been a standard to
be carried in procession. on the face of
the support 10 the mirror Is carved The
figure Of "A man Staying a griffin. on the
other side Is carved q Ion attacking a
bull. The shaft OF the handle has an
architectural pattern in the carving This
ivory may be presumed 90 he OF Phoe-
nician origin, similar to some met with
by Layard In Nimroud, which were not
pure Assyrian, but rather Phoenician.
An immense and marvelously fine brace
let. over n foot in length. ana fully two
inches deep, constituted Of link plates Of
IIomerc shields, Is a most interesting and
prominent object. in beautiful presorvn-
ton. II Is riValed in interest but not cx-
celled, by the far larger and very boauti-
ful Egyptian pectOral. TO which crown
ing position In the general collection may
be assigned. II consists OF seven rows OF
ornaments, the rows being moro or less
fragmentary. As It rs, the first or top
row consists OF thirty cylindrical plain
gold beads. with little wire eyes az top
and at bottom. Into the eyes at the bot
tom the little hooks Of the second row Of
ornaments TT. OF this second row. four
teen OF the ornaments remain. These are
! IN pairs the one smooth, triangular. with
| point downward; It's companion with
/ broad end down and point uppcrmost-
the latter being. as It were cut open ana
! enameled. TIE third row has twenty
| plain gold toOth-lilSe beads.
/ The fourth row consists OF purso-like
ornaments, beautifully made. with little
pockets and flaps. brightly euamoed each
being hung on two beads Of the row above.
| The fifth row Is formed OF a series OF two