Jewelers Of Italy

(via 5000 Years of Gems and Jewelry) Frances Rogers and Alice Beard writes:

2. Greco-Roman Goldsmiths

While the successors of Alexander were disputing among themselves, Rome was growing into a power which ultimately dominated territory as wide as the United States; and Greece was among the nations that succumbed to her rule.

The Romans were more practical than artistic. Their houses and their clothes, in the early days, were simple and austere, lacking ornament and luxury. Nevertheless, it would seem that their simplicity of living was founded on paucity of invention rather than severity of taste. Their conquests gave them power over many countries, and also a golden opportunity for looting; and no Roman army disdained the chance to carry home the luxuries created in other lands. From Macedonia alone they brought more than two hundred wagonloads of paintings and statuary. Mosaics, rich hangings and carpets, horse-trappings set with gems, and golden jewelry sparkling with precious stones from Alexandria were conveyed over land and sea to Rome. Not only did a conquering army seize objects of art but is brought back, among its prisoners of war, artists and craftsmen, thereby insuring a further supply of the fine arts to be created at the demand of the Roman citizen.

Luxuries hitherto unknown to the Roman found a warm welcome. Greek sculptors were set to making statues of Roman gods, with the result that many of the stone deities were but idealized versions of the Greek youths who posed for the sculptors, and many of these statues later appeared in miniature designs engraved on gems. The Greek goldsmith who fashioned jewelry for his Roman patrons did so according to his native designs. The art of a conquered people continued long to dominate the art of its conquerors.

And so the once drab and bare interior of the Roman house became colorful and rich with foreign plunder and erstwhile simplicity of dress gave place to more ostentatious garb. Jewelry and ever more jewelry decked the rich Roman lady of fashion. It is curious to note how the ancient Roman jewelry reflects the spirit of the times and proclaims, like a blast of trumpets, the arrogant pride of riches. The heavy, opulent necklaces, bracelets, and rings fairly wallow in wealth of gold and suggest that the people who wore them were somewhat larger than life.

Those who disapproved of the growing trend toward finery and frivolity arose to plead for a return to the good old fashions of frugal severity in dress and austerity of behavior. They hurled thunders of condemnation at the amount of jewelry worn and especially at the great numbers of rings that loaded the fingers. And as for the frivolous fashion, to mention one, of sending Roman boys to Greek dancing classes......what was the younger generation coming to?

Long before the year 1 A.D. the censor was with us, and at that particular time he was present in the person of Cato. Cato seems to have disapproved quite comprehensively of Roman fashions, and as he had power to shape the law, he dictated law after law prohibiting the things he did not like. Jewelry in particular came under the ban of his displeasure, therefore he rather specialized in laws concerning it. He specified the number of jewels a citizen might wear and what kind of metal a man’s ring should be made of—whether gold, silver or iron—depending on the wearer’s station in life. Even senators might not wear their gold rings in private life. These rings were kept in the treasury and handed out only to those who were sent as embassies to foreign lands, in which case the ring was not merely an ornament but a badge of office.

The signet-ring of iron, being a humble thing of use and not of ostentation, appears to have escaped the censor’s ban. For a time these laws of prohibition checked and held down the love of luxury and display, but only for a while.

Jewelers Of Italy (continued)