Gold is the most malleable of the precious metals. It is easy to work and can be simply hammered into shapes. However, gold is so soft that it is often alloyed with another metal, like silver (to produce electrum) or copper, so that it can be made into objects that keep their shape and have surfaces hard enough to be inscribed with decorative motifs.
Provenance: unknown.
Substance: gold.
Dimensions: 6.5 x 6.5 cm.
Era: Roman.
Text: Michel Fortin (translated by Jane Macaulay).
Photo: Jacques Lessard.
Collection of the National Museum of Damascus.
Michel Fortin, Syria, Land of Civilization. Les Éditions de l'Homme, Musée de la Civilisation de Québec 1999.
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