Kritonios Crown

The Kritonios Crown

The Kritonios Crown is an ancient ornate golden crown or wreath dating to the 4th century BC. It was discovered in 1814[1] in the tomb of a man named Kritonios in Armento, Italy. The crown is now in the Staatliche Antikensammlungen, Munich, Germany.

A twig of oak forms the base, from which elements with chalices of blue enamel protrude, with intertwined patterns of convolvulus, narcissus, ivy, roses, and myrtle. The top features an image of a winged goddess. The pedestal on which the goddess stands bears the Greek inscription ΚΡΕΙΘΩΝΙΟΣ ΗΘΗΚΗ ΤΟΝ ΕΤΗΦΑΝΟΝ (Kritonios dedicated this crown).[2] Four male genii and two draped female figures float over the flowers, pointing towards the goddess. The errors in the inscription on the crown indicate the work of a Lucanian artist who studied at Heraclea or Taranto.[3] The style of the headgear's figures indicates a date around 350 BC.[4]

  1. ^ "Footprints of the Lucans". APT Basilicata. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 5 Aug 2015.
  2. ^ E.K. Guhl. The Life of the Greeks and Romans Described from Antique Monuments. Рипол Классик. p. 181. ISBN 1146675313.
  3. ^ Adameșteanu, Dinu. "ARMENTO Basilicata, Italy.". The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites. Retrieved 5 Aug 2015.
  4. ^ Reynold Alleyne Higgins (1980). Greek and Roman Jewellery. University of California Press. p. 124. ISBN 0520036018.