The Gold And The Byzantine Kingdom

By Jack Wagon

A large variety of customs and body decorative accessories of Byzantines people were relatively similar to those in the Rome at the same period (476-1453 CE). The capital of Constantinople had baths similar to those, which were present in Rome. These people wore numerous styles of jewellery in fingers, ears, neck, ankles, toes, and fibulae.

They mostly used gold or silver jewellery, as these were highly popular ornaments of Byzantines. They also used to cover other metals with a thin plate of gold. That indicates that gold was seen as a highly admired object in that empire, and they introduced several ways to gratify their voracious craving for gold.

With the passage of time, they started to use several other varieties of elements in their ornaments and costume conducts, and they used to bring those elements from the Middle East and the Orient. However, they never used intense cosmetics and make-ups ranges as the Romans did. However, they were keener in preparing wonderful perfumes, and they used several constituents in their preparation, which they used to bring from India, Persia, and China. For that cause, preparation of colognes soon became a preferred business in that area.

This populace also made some excellent types of jewellery, and they introduced several techniques in preparation of these ornaments. Enamelling of several ornaments was one amongst the most well liked techniques, and it was widely used for a huge range of jewellery. These people were tremendously fond of rings, and had immense talent in preparing a variety of rings, which were frequently made in a large variety of shapes and designs.

Women alone did not wear jewellery, as it was also equally popular among men. Just like today, even then wearing lots of jewellery was considered a sign of affluence, and well-being. Those who had lots of gold jewellery were considered affluent, and well off, while less privileged people often wore silver, or gold coated jewellery.

The Byzantines tried their best to transform different varieties of metals into gold, and a large portion of their population used to travel from one place to another in search of gold. They used to admire gold just like an object of worship.

Jewellery was not the only thing that they used to prepare out of gold, but they manufactured some other things from gold too, for example various utensils, and small idols. They used to keep those utensils and idols in shrines, as many such items have been found from the remains of shrines.

The technique they used at that time for gold coating are still in use even after thousands of years. They were also quite well known for their patterns, and they had also developed quite an impressive ways to use these patterns on almost all types of clothing. These people also developed samite, which was a special sort of silk, they used on their special occasions. - 29871

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