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The Kritonios Crown is an ancient ornate golden crown or wreath dating to the 4th century BC. It was discovered in 1814 in the tomb of a man named Kritonios in
The Kritonios Crown is an ancient ornate golden crown or wreath dating to the 4th century BC. It was discovered in 1814 in the tomb of a man named Kritonios in Armento
Armento ( Lucano: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. The Armento Rider was found in the vicinity of Armento and is now in the British Museum. The Kritonios Crown, a 4th-century BC ...
, Italy. A twig of oaks forms the base, from which elements with chalices of blue enamel protrude, with intertwined patterns of convolvulus
''Convolvulus'' is a genus of about 200 to 250''Convolvulus''.
Flora of China.
, narcissus, Flora of China.
ivy
''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...
, roses and myrtle. The top features an image of winged goddess. The pedestal on which the goddess stands bears a Greek inscription ΚΡΕΙΘΩΝΙΟΣ ΗΘΗΚΗ ΤΟΝ ΕΤΗΦΑΝΟΝ (Kritonios dedicated this crown). 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
Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label= Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an important com ...
. The style of the headgear's figures indicate a date around 350 BC.
The crown is housed in the Staatliche Antikensammlungen
The Staatliche Antikensammlungen (, ''State Collections of Antiquities'') is a museum in Munich's Kunstareal holding Bavaria's collections of antiquities from Greece, Etruria and Rome, though the sculpture collection is located in the opposite Gly ...
, Munich, Germany.
References
{{reflist 4th-century BC artefacts Crown jewels Staatliche Antikensammlungen Individual crowns Lucania Archaeological discoveries in Italy 1814 archaeological discoveries Ancient Greek metalwork