Arm Ring

During the late Iron Age, a range of loosely affiliated tribal groups in Central Europe formed what scholars call the La Tène culture, the ancestors of the Celtic cultures of Britain and France. Women of the La Tène culture commonly wore glass arm rings such as this around their biceps instead of metal jewelry. This arm ring uses a common ancient design, a central twist framed by horizontal lines, in an uncommon color. Made of clear-gray glass, the artisan added a bright yellow pigment on the interior of the arm ring to make the glass look like gold. La Tène jewelry drew inspiration from styles and objects traded among the neighboring Etruscans and Greek colonies in Western Europe.