Antiquities.....

It's no secret that I am obsessed with ancient cultures.  I should have been an archaeologist...but growing up on a farm meant you took practical things in college...not art...not ancient cultures.  I took math and science and trained to work in a hospital laboratory...practical.  But life leads us down many paths.  I no longer work in the lab but I'm still around them and work as an Administrator....fancy name for a person who can move all the red tape.  I'm good at this but it's not something that excites me.  It is a means to an end....paying the bills and being able to do the things I want to do....make jewelry, travel, study other cultures. 

SO....about three years ago I stumbled across an image of an ancient Parisii coin.  The Parisii were a Celtic tribe who lived on the island...Ile de la Cite...in the middle of the Seine.  They were the first inhabitants of that area and modern day Paris takes it's name from this tribe. 

I love this coin...I love Paris.  I understand The Met has one... so some day there will be a trip to New York so I can see it in person.  I traced the image and made a texture sheet out of it and have been making pendants and earrings not just from this coin but from others.

The day came (over the weekend) when I wasn't happy with just making texture from images or molds from replicas.  I was surfing the net and found one of many sites selling antiquities.  I don't know why this site broke down my defenses...but it did.... and I bought some coins.  Probably because they came as a set and the price seemed reasonable...well....reasonable for 13th century coins.  Here are 3 of the 5 coins that I bought. 

Plus part of a bronze Visigoth belt buckle

I guess I will consider this a Christmas present to myself :))
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