SimplyAbuDhabi XV

New York Virginia China 855-266-9970 www.tkasian.com • i nfo@tkasian.com WREATHS ARE AMONG THE MORE RECOGNIZABLE SYMBOLS OF ANCIENT GREEK AND ROMAN CIVILIZATIONS. AWARDED FOR VARIOUS ACCOMPLISHMENTS, OR SIMPLY AS SYMBOLS OF STATUS AND RANK, GREEK WREATHS MIGHT BE MADE FROM THE LEAVES OF SUCH PLANTS AS OLIVE, IVY, OAK, MYRTLE AND LAUREL. THE EXAMPLE SEEN HERE, HOWEVER, DEPICTS ARTISTIC VARIATIONS ON A MIX OF SPECIES, INCLUDING THOSE FROM THE FAMILIES OF BIGNONIACEAE AND SCROPHULARIACESE; WHICH MAKES IT MORE LIKELY TO BE OF CENTRAL ASIAN ORIGIN. WREATHS OF MIXED FOLIAGE, PARTICULARLY FASHIONED IN PRECIOUS METAL, ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN MADE AS OFFERINGS TO TEMPLES AS THEY ARE MORE COMPLEX IN CRAFTMANSHIP AND FUNCTIONAL IN FORM, THAN THEIR TRADITIONAL MEDITERANIAN MOURTUARY TYPES. THIS WREATH WAS PURPORTEDLY RECOVERED IN MODERN DAY CHINA, IN A REGION WHICH SAW TREMENDOUS CROSS CULTURAL CONTACT EXCHANGE DUE TO THE TRADE ROUTES OF THE FAMED SILK ROAD. 3988 ca. 2nd century BCE - 2nd century CE 6 ⁄ ” L x 6 ⁄ W Expert analysis, Williamsburg, Virginia Independent expert analysis by Stoetzer Inc. Independent expert analysis physics institute at the University of Bern, Switzerland & Curt- Engelhorn-Zentrum Archaeometric in Manheim, Germany