INELE REALIZATE ÎN TEHNICA FILIGRANULUI SI A GRANULARII

Silver rings made in the filigree and granulation technique are considered luxury pieces of Byzantine style. This type of jewels is encountered quite rarely in funerary inventories from Transylvania, in the Xth-XIth centuries and in general is associated with earrings (Giesler - 17a, 17b), necklaces (Giesler - 1b), bracelets (Giesler - 4, 7), finger rings (Giesler – 30), beads (Giesler - 39, 40), lock rings with –s shaped ends (Giesler - I, II) and coins issued by Stephen I. This shape of ring is considered to be of Byzantine tradition and is included by J. Giesler in 38th type, being dated between 965-1060. K. Mesterházy includes the golden and silver variety in the form 16 a, and the bronze piece in 16 b. In general, the ring presents the same type of ornament (wheat ear) and only the bezel is made of silver and integrally decorated (Alba Iulia-Izvorul Împaratului) or cruciform, framing granule triangles (Alba Iulia-Izvorul Împaratului, Svinjarevci, Vukovar-Lijeva bara, Zvonimirovo- Veliko Polje); discoidal bezel presenting an included stone (Hodoni, Szabolcs); rectangular bezel is having a piece of glass included (Zalau, Szabolcs, Deszk-D, Kloštar Podravski). There appears also a variant moulded in bronze, that imitates more or less pieces made of silver.