Beautiful crescent moon pendant, 1100-1300 AD

• Culture and region: Islamic culture, Iran or Central Asia
• Timing: Middle Ages, 1100–1300 AD.
• Material: silver, remnants of gilding
• Size: 4.5 × 3.5 cm
• Weight: 13.64g
• Provenance: Private collection, Belgium. Acquired at auction in 1966 (CC collection). Documented before the UNESCO 1970 treaty. Current documentation: Declaration of Legal Origin, signed in Basel on 17.9.2025).

Description

This medieval Islamic silver pendant is a fine example of ancient jewelry art. The pendant, shaped like a crescent moon and adorned with raised dot-like decorations, still preserves delicate traces of gilding. A thick silver wire forms the loop, one end bent into a hook that fits into a small hole in the body of the pendant. This hook-and-hole construction suggests that the piece was most likely a hanging ornament from a headdress or necklace—structurally similar to Iranian and Central Asian jewelry from the 12th to 14th centuries CE.

The pendant represents the refined goldsmithing of the Islamic Middle Ages, where craftsmanship and symbolism intertwine. The crescent form, the rhythmic dot pattern, and the radiating motifs reflect the cosmological thought of the time: the universe was seen as a harmonious system of recurring forms, each carrying its own meaning.

Symbolism

The crescent (hilal) is one of the earliest symbols of the Islamic world. It is associated with renewal, the rhythm of divine order, and feminine protection. Silver and gold were regarded as opposites: silver symbolised the reflective soul of the moon, while gold represented divine light. In their combination, the pendant expresses the balance between the spiritual and the material realms.

The radiating motifs and dotted patterns evoke the imagery of the starry sky. Their rhythmic arrangement alludes to the harmonious structure of the cosmos—a central concept in the aesthetic worldview of the Seljuk and Ilkhanid periods.