RARE BYZANTINE OPENWORK GOLD CROSS WITH CENTRAL GARNET CABOCHON Ca. AD 600 - 700 A gold Byzantine open work cross with beaded decoration. The crucifix is represented with circlular swirling patterns and set with a central red garnet cabochon. At the top of each point there is a stylised flower made with a central pistil surrounded by the petals with a circular frame. For similar see: J. Spier’s Byzantium and the West: Jewelry in the First Millenium (2012), n. 14. (model and shape.) Size: 31mm x 24mm; Weight: 4.3g Provenance: Private collection of an Oxford professional, formed in the 1970s-1990s on the UK art market. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.