This my first entry and I thought I'd share some pictures I stumbled upon while doing research on the history of wedding crowns (stefana). The first picture is of bronze, tin-plated crowns from the 10th century.
Two inscriptions run around the outter surfaces of these crowns. The first seeks the Lord's help for Romanos and his family, Possibly the donor of the crowns. The second quotes a passage from Psalm 20/21 "Thou settest a crown of precious stones on his head; he asked for life of thee and Thou gavest it him, even lenght of days, for ever and ever." referring to David's ultimate triumph after meeting adversity and death.
The crowns in the picture to the right are from the 19th century and have repoussé decoration and inlaid stones. Repoussé is one of the oldest metalsmithing techniques in the world. Almost every culture with tradition in metalwork has left examples of this technique. It is the process of creating volumetric forms by pushing metal. The pushing is usually done on both the front and the back of the metal. The parts that are brought into relief are worked from the back and those that are depressed are worked from the front. At the center of each crown is a plaque. The one on the left depicts the Virgin and child and the other the crowning of the Virgin by the Holy Trinity.
The crowns on the left are common to the Post - Byzantine period and are found mainly in Asia Minor. The are decorated with filigree, rosettes with glass stones, and appliqué plaques. The plaque in the center of the crown on the right depicts the Archangel Michael.
This last pair of stefana are engraved with the date 1900. The are very regal and in the form of a crown. It is said that this type of wedding crown is not very common. They have a rich floral decoration and a cross with a rosette at their centers. All of the information and pictures are from the book Greek Jewellery 6,000 Years of Tradition.
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