Hercules knot

The ‘Hercules knot' often features in Greek and Roman art as a symbol of protection and of the close ties between man and wife, making it an ideal wedding gift. This finally worked piece of jewellery from the early Hellenistic period was probably the central, crowning feature of a diadem. It consists of two gold tubes tied in a reef knot and decorated with gold thread in a vine motif. At the centre is a decorative calyx containing a rosette.