|
Rock crystal is a variety of clear, colorless quartz
that is considered a semiprecious gemstone. Due
to both its beauty and ease of cutting, it has
frequently been employed in art and jewelry
since the earliest days of history. Sometimes it is
used to imitate diamonds. In Ancient Egypt, rock
crystal was used in jewelry, and rock crystal
beads appear quite frequently in tombs finds,
laying alongside the remains of the deceased. In
the orient, rock crystal is considered the perfect
jewel, symbolic of purity, infinity, patience, and
perseverance. Throughout history, in every part
of the world, man has valued this transparent,
colorless quartz for its benevolent power and
faultless beauty. As an amulet rock crystal is
thought to cure ailments of the glands, the eyes,
the intestines and the heart. Its chief appeal has
always been its transparent purity, the very
personification of virtue, goodness, and
innocence. Those who wear it are kept pure in
body and spirit.
The ancient region today situated on the border
between Pakistan and Afghanistan was known in
antiquity as Gandhara. Several notable cities
flourished in this area between the 6th century
B.C. and the 11th century A.D. It saw enormous
changes with the ebb and flow of contemporary
superpowers. Prior to this in the 6th century B.C.
Gandhara was absorbed into the Achaemenid
(Persian) Empire. The collapse of this dynasty led
to a series of power struggles that ended with
the crushing of native armies by Alexander the
Great in 327 B.C., ushering in a period of
significance Hellenic influence. Following an
attack by Demetrius of Bactria, the area became
Graeco-Bactrian for some time, although it
eventually gained independence under King
Menander in the mid 2nd century B.C. The final
effects of Greek colonialism were eroded by
about 50 B.C. under a fierce campaign headed by
the Parthians. While catastrophic to social order
at the time, the cultural diversity of the region
was greatly enhanced by the appearance of the
Greeks, especially in terms of artistic production
as this magnificent rock crystal piece
demonstrates. Even after the Greeks had gone,
their legacy endured in the aesthetics that makes
Gandhara art unique.
Today, the name Medusa conjures up images of
a hideous, frightening monster with the snarling
fangs of a snake and hair consisting of serpents.
However, while this representation of Medusa
would have been familiar to an Ancient Greek or
Roman, they also would have recognized
another, more tame depiction of the famous
gorgon. As Classical art evolved over time, the
horrifying Medusa type slowly transformed into a
type whose features recalled those of a beautiful
woman. Her hair of snakes gave way to flowing
curly locks recalling the wind-swept coiffure of
Alexander the Great. Occasionally, she even
sports a small pair of winds emerging from her
head. This example of Medusa reveals a visage
that is more comical than frightful or seductive.
She sticks her tongue out at us, framing her two
buck teeth. Her large open mouth and upturned
lips recall the type associated with comic theatre
masks. Her ears are decorated with earrings.
She does however retain the curly locks that are
so associated with her legend. She gazes out at
us with piercing eyes, squinting slightly as if she
is straining to peer out from the rock crystal.
- (SP.428)
|
